Roberto De Zerbi Praises Tottenham's New Mentality After Historic Chelsea Win

Roberto De Zerbi said Tottenham's historic 2-0 victory against London rivals Chelsea proved his side have a winning mentality as they banished their dismal start to the season. Tottenham won at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League for just the second time in 36 years and for the first time since 2018. Trips across the capital to west London have largely been fruitless for Tottenham over the last four decades. But De Zerbi's men enjoyed a memorable visit to Stamford Bridge on Saturday thanks to a comical own goal from Chelsea goalkeeper Mike Penders and a late wonder goal from Mathys Tel after Blues star Cole Palmer was sent off. "It was a big moment for the fans, the club and the players as well. They deserved this win, they prepared very well," De Zerbi said.

"We are improving a lot. We are improving in terms of mentality, as a group and in the relationships between the players. Then we are improving on the pitch."

Tottenham started the season with a dismal run of six league games without a win, raising the spectre of another relegation battle after they narrowly avoided dropping into the Championship on the final day of last season.

With the pressure mounting on De Zerbi, the Italian has brought his players closer together through team dinners and a trip to Marbella.

'The Spirit, The Belief'

A win against promoted Coventry on Monday lifted the tension around the north London club, and victory over Chelsea was another reward for De Zerbi's team-building efforts.

"Now it is a complete team. When we stay for dinner and spend time together in the dressing room, I see a different group, a different relationship and a different atmosphere among the players," he said.

"The character was great today, but we have many, many new players. The players who stayed here from last season, two or three seasons ago, suffered because of the previous results and two 17th-place finishes. We are working to change the recent history of the club."

Tottenham had started to lose the faith of their long-suffering supporters after another miserable beginning to the season.

But De Zerbi insisted he never doubted the team would get back on track.

"I have to believe in this group. I never lost confidence in my players," he said.

"The week in Marbella, to speak better face-to-face, to open ourselves up and remove the mask, is important.

"It is important for the spirit and the belief. The atmosphere inside the dressing room is maybe more important than the tactics."

For Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso, it was a painful setback as the optimism generated by successive victories over Bournemouth and Everton was washed away on a rain-soaked evening.

Alonso's expensively assembled side sit fourth in the table but remain a work in progress after the third league defeat of his first season in charge.

"We are all disappointed with the result and with the performance. Collectively and individually, we were not at our best level," he said.

"It was about the first goal and it went their way. With 10 men it was difficult, but we can do better."

Alonso refused to blame Penders and Palmer for their roles in the defeat.

"We feel for everyone. It is a team thing, a collective responsibility. We have to move on," he said before adding that he "hadn't seen" Palmer's two bookings.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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