Spurs boss De Zerbi shrugs off criticism of win over weakened Villa

TL;DR

Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi dismissed criticism regarding his team's 2-1 win over a weakened Aston Villa, emphasizing his own squad's injury struggles. Tottenham is currently one point above the relegation zone with three games remaining in the season.

Key points

Tottenham won 2-1 against Aston Villa.
De Zerbi dismissed criticism about Villa's weakened team.
Tottenham is one point above the relegation zone.
The team has three matches left in the season.
Injuries have affected Tottenham's squad significantly.

Mentioned in this story

Roberto De ZerbiUnai EmeryDominic SolankeGuglielmo Vicario

TottenhamAston VillaWest HamLeeds

Tottenham boss Roberto De Zerbi (Darren Staples) (Darren Staples/AFP/AFP) Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi said he had no qualms about profiting from Aston Villa's weakened team after criticism of a vital win in his club's fight to avoid relegation. De Zerbi's side won 2-1 at much-changed Villa last weekend after Unai Emery rested his key players to prioritise their Europa League semi-final against Nottingham Forest. Villa's lacklustre performance sparked debate about their influence on the relegation dogfight, with Tottenham moving out of the Premier League relegation zone after West Ham's defeat at Brentford 24 hours earlier. But De Zerbi said Tottenham's injury crisis, which has robbed the Italian of several key players, made Villa's switches irrelevant. "I can say one thing, we played without (Cristian) Romero, (Dejan) Kulusevski, (Mohammed) Kudus, (Dominic) Solanke, Xavi Simons, (James) Maddison and maybe more players than Villa," he told reporters on Thursday. "It is better if the people speak about us than we speak about them. "In Italy we are used to thinking in the bad way about this situation but it is not true. It is not true." Fourth-bottom Tottenham are one point above third-bottom West Ham with three games left in the survival battle. With Tottenham not in action until Monday's visit from , they would drop back into the relegation zone if West Ham beat league leaders on Sunday. But a defeat for West Ham would present Tottenham with a chance to open a potentially decisive four-point lead over Nuno Espirito Santo's men. After hosting Leeds, De Zerbi's team travel to London rivals Chelsea on May 19 before finishing their season at home to on May 24. "First of all we are playing against one of the best teams in the league, in this moment," said De Zerbi, who has led Tottenham to victories in their last two matches. "In the last five or six games, Leeds won against , they drew in playing well. For that we have a big respect. "We can't think in a different way. We have to keep this mentality. We must remain humble. Nothing has changed. We have to prepare for an important game. "We have to focus on this type of game, with this type of attitude, spirit and showing the qualities of the players." De Zerbi confirmed goalkeeper remains sidelined after hernia surgery, with striker Dominic Solanke unlikely to recover from a hamstring injury in time to face Leeds. smg/jdg/bsp

Q&A

What did Roberto De Zerbi say about the criticism of Tottenham's win over Aston Villa?

Roberto De Zerbi stated he had no qualms about winning against a weakened Aston Villa and highlighted his own team's injury crisis.

How does Tottenham's recent win affect their relegation battle?

The win moved Tottenham out of the Premier League relegation zone, putting them one point above West Ham with three games left in the season.

What are Tottenham's upcoming matches after the win against Aston Villa?

Tottenham's next matches include a home game against Leeds, followed by away games against Chelsea and a final home match against Everton.

Spurs boss De Zerbi shrugs off criticism of win over weakened Villa

TL;DR

Key points

Q&A

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