Roberto De Zerbi Names Three Tottenham Players Who Struggled Physically in Brentford Defeat
Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto De Zerbi has admitted that three of his players were not at their best physically during the club’s disappointing 3–0 defeat to Brentford on the opening day of the Premier League season.
Spurs endured a frustrating afternoon at the Gtech Community Stadium, with Keane Lewis-Potter, Vitaly Janelt and Michael Kayode all finding the net as Brentford secured a convincing victory.
The result came as a major disappointment for Tottenham, particularly after the club invested more than £200 million on six first-team players during the summer transfer window.
Among the new arrivals, Andrew Robertson started in defence alongside Jan Paul van Hecke, while record signing Sandro Tonali made his competitive debut for the North London side.
However, Tonali struggled to impose himself on the game, with Brentford’s Mamadou Sangare controlling large periods of the midfield battle. Mateus Fernandes, another expensive summer arrival, offered some encouragement after being introduced in the second half.
De Zerbi did not hide his frustration after the final whistle and admitted he was surprised by both the result and Tottenham’s overall performance.
The Spurs boss explained that several players were not yet in peak physical condition, particularly those who joined the squad late following the World Cup and the club’s summer recruitment drive.
He specifically identified Marcos Senesi, Jan Paul van Hecke and Sandro Tonali as players who still need to improve physically.
De Zerbi also stressed that Tottenham must improve their organisation, pressing and intensity, insisting that his team needed to compete much harder in the individual battles against Brentford.
Despite the heavy defeat, Tonali remained positive about Tottenham’s new project and backed De Zerbi to turn things around.
The midfielder said the manager has brought plenty of positivity to the squad and is working to rebuild the team spirit after what he described as difficult previous seasons.
For now, Tottenham have plenty to improve on, with De Zerbi making it clear that excuses will not be accepted and that his squad must respond quickly to their disappointing start.
