Roberto De Zerbi pleased with Tottenham’s pre-season progress after Chelsea victory

Tottenham Hotspur head coach Roberto De Zerbi says he is encouraged by his side’s progress after they wrapped up an unbeaten pre-season tour with a 2-1 victory over Chelsea in Sydney.

The Italian spent 10 days with his squad across New Zealand and Australia as Spurs continued preparations for the upcoming Premier League campaign. After finishing 17th last season, De Zerbi is aiming to oversee a significant improvement in his first full season at the club.

Tottenham completed the tour without defeat, opening with a 2-0 win over Auckland FC, followed by a penalty shootout success after a 1-1 draw against Sydney FC, before edging Chelsea despite playing much of the second half with 10 men.

“I’m happy for a lot of things,” De Zerbi said after the match.

“First of all, because we have spent a very important 10 days together. We worked very well.

“I’m happy to work with these players. I’m looking forward to working with the other players who are in London – Rodrigo Bentancur, Pape Matar Sarr, Marcos Senesi, and Mohammed Kudus.“

Bentancur, Matar Sarr and Senesi were all involved at the FIFA World Cup, while Kudus continues his recovery from injury.

New signings and youngsters impress

The tour also allowed De Zerbi to assess several new arrivals, including Sandro Tonali, Andy Robertson, and Marco Palestra, alongside a number of academy prospects.

He singled out Tonali, Archie Gray, Ben Davies, Robertson and Lucas Bergvall for their influential performances in the win over Chelsea, which was sealed by Richarlison’s dramatic 90th-minute winner.

De Zerbi was equally impressed by the club’s emerging talent, praising the impact of several young players during the tour.

“I’m so happy for the young players because Malachi Hardy, Rio Kyerematen, Tye Hall, and Kota Takai have been very important for us during this period. They are very good players,” he said.

Spurs show resilience after red card

One of the biggest positives for De Zerbi was the team’s resilience after defender Kevin Danso was sent off just three minutes into the second half following a reckless challenge.

Despite being reduced to 10 men, Tottenham remained organised and eventually found a late winner, a display De Zerbi hopes will set the standard for the season ahead.

The Italian believes changing the team’s mentality will be key after two difficult campaigns.

“It’s important to change the habits because our habits in the last two seasons have not been good in terms of results,” he said.

“It’s important for us to win games, win the duels, win the second balls and play well in every area of the pitch. Overall, it has been a very good 10 days.”

Tottenham Hotspur will conclude their pre-season schedule with back-to-back friendlies against TSG Hoffenheim before opening their Premier League campaign against Brentford on August 22.