De Zerbi: We can't allow such cheap goals after Tottenham's 2–3 loss to Aston Villa

Tottenham suffered a painful home defeat on 20.09.2026, losing 2–3 to Aston Villa in a Premier League match in which the visitors opened a three-goal lead before Spurs responded.

The club's manager, Roberto De Zerbi, did not hide his disappointment after the game: "I am very sad. We cannot lose this match like this, absolutely not. We cannot concede a second goal like that. We cannot lose our balance simply because we are behind after the first half," De Zerbi said and continued:

"I don't want to talk about the first half, when we dominated, created more chances, and played well. My focus is on why we conceded the first goal with 10 players, in just one minute in that situation. We can be stronger, we can communicate more, we can defend more compactly.

That is certainly an aspect for which I have responsibility; I do not want to leave without taking responsibility. But, at that moment in the game, when the game is different from possession, when we must defend compactly, leaders must be leaders and lead the team," De Zerbi emphasized.

Coach's assessment

De Zerbi stressed that the key issue was not the first half performance but the reaction after conceding and the defensive organisation with a reduced number of players. He accepted responsibility for that aspect and demanded better communication and more compact defending from his squad going forward.

The result raises immediate questions about Tottenham's defensive stability and whether the on-field leaders can marshal the team effectively in the coming league fixtures.

Photo: press material from the event