'One or two times are not enough!' – Roberto De Zerbi issues stern warning to Tottenham stars
Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto De Zerbi has demanded that his players maintain their ruthless hunger ahead of Saturday's Premier League derby against Crystal Palace. De Zerbi provided crucial fitness updates on James Maddison and praised young forward Mathys Tel following their historic victory at Chelsea.
Spurs seek momentum after historic Stamford Bridge triumph
Tottenham Hotspur host Crystal Palace at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium looking to build on consecutive Premier League victories. Roberto De Zerbi's side enter the London derby high on confidence following a rare and historic 3-0 triumph away against rivals Chelsea.
Palace arrive in 17th place under new manager Pierre Sage, struggling for form and goals in recent weeks.
Despite the recent high, De Zerbi insists his squad must stay grounded and hungry for more success.
De Zerbi demands relentless hunger from Tottenham squad
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, De Zerbi emphasized that two wins are merely a stepping stone rather than the final destination. "We have not achieved our goal. We want to make our fans happy, not now, at the end of the season," De Zerbi stated.
"Now we have to push, we have to stay focused, we have to increase the spirit, the appetite to win games in a row... The step of this club is to win games in a row and to be angry day by day, game by game, win by win. One time or two times are not enough."
De Zerbi praised the leadership group within the dressing room, including James Maddison, Pedro Porro, and Micky van de Ven, for keeping standards high.
Maddison available as De Zerbi praises Tel's development
De Zerbi confirmed that influential playmaker James Maddison has recovered sufficiently to feature against Palace despite managing his training load. "James is available. He is a special player for us, a special player because he has unique characteristics, different than everyone," De Zerbi noted.
The Italian manager also addressed Mathys Tel's progress following his standout goal against Chelsea. "I'm proud and happy, but first of all for him, because I love working for the players, to improve the players," De Zerbi explained.
"Mathys is working very hard. He's a smart guy. He has a big, big potential. His improvement, I think, is making the decision, the last decision."
Testing test awaits against Pierre Sage's Palace side
Reflecting on their upcoming opponents, De Zerbi expressed high respect for Crystal Palace boss Pierre Sage and the challenges of competing across multiple competitions.
"I know very well Pierre Sage. He is a very good coach... It is not easy to play in three competitions, because they are playing in the Premier League, in the European League and in Carabao Cup," De Zerbi observed.
Tottenham will look to channel their recent momentum to secure another vital three points in front of home supporters.
