"If we didn’t score it’s my responsibility. I take the responsibility." Roberto De Zerbi opened with that after Tottenham lost 2-3 at home to Aston Villa in Tottenham vs Aston Villa. The scoreline mattered, but his mood was shaped more by how the game slipped away. He described Spurs as too fragile and kept returning to the defensive mistakes that turned a decent first half into another damaging league defeat.

The collapse De Zerbi could not ignore

Speaking after the game, De Zerbi told football-italia.net: "Today I was very disappointed, very sad, very frustrated for the performance. Because we can’t lose this game, in this way, absolutely. We can’t concede the second goal. We can’t lose balance, just because in the first half we are losing."

That summed up his reading of the night. Tottenham conceded three in the defeat and are still without a league win after five matches. They also have 0 points in the Premier League table, which gives his criticism a harsher edge.

He was especially unhappy with the moment Villa took control. Sources differ on the exact timing, but they agree on the key detail: Villa’s opener came before the break while Spurs were temporarily down to 10 men. De Zerbi's complaint was less about misfortune than about how his team handled the situation.

Quoted by football.london, he said: "I don't want to speak about the first half when we dominated the game, we create more chances to score, we play well. I don't want to speak because my focus is why we concede the first goal with 10 players, just for one minute in that situation. We can stay stronger, we can communicate more and more and more, we can defend in a compact way."

That is a fair line from the manager because the late goals did not change the shape of the match. Conor Gallagher and Jan Paul van Hecke got Tottenham’s first two goals of the season late on, but they arrived after Villa had already done the damage.

The attacking issues remain part of it too. Dominic Solanke has featured in all five league games and still has 0 goals. At the other end, Micky van de Ven completed 90 minutes in a defence De Zerbi clearly felt lost its structure, while Emiliano Buendía finished as Villa’s highest-rated attacking scorer with an 8.2 match rating.

Selection calls add to the scrutiny

De Zerbi also had to explain one obvious team call. Mathys Tel did not start and was not on the bench against Villa, despite appearing in all four of his league outings before this match and playing 259 minutes.

Asked about that absence, De Zerbi's answer to standard.co.uk was brief: "Technical decision". He also said he had explained the omission to Tel on Friday.

His wider explanation, given to football.london, pointed to balance in midfield and the need for control. De Zerbi said: "Kudus was one doubt, I had a doubt before the game yesterday between Kudus, Gallagher and Mateus Fernandes. Kudus starting in the first XI maybe as a 10, especially as a 10 I didn't think he could have the intensity like Mateus or Gallagher, and Mateus and Gallagher, I decided for Mateus to give more control, more technique on the midfield position."

That puts the spotlight on structure as much as personnel. Mateus Fernandes got the nod because De Zerbi wanted more control in midfield, and Gallagher was part of that plan too. The problem for Tottenham is that the team still lost balance badly once Villa got ahead.

Selection debate is inevitable after a 3-2 home loss, especially when Tel had been involved regularly before being left out. Still, De Zerbi's own emphasis landed elsewhere. He kept dragging the discussion back to fragility, communication and the way Spurs defended key moments.

That leaves Tottenham with a familiar problem by the end of September: a manager taking responsibility in public, but a team with 0 points and no league win after five matches.

FAQ

Why was Roberto De Zerbi so critical after Tottenham lost to Aston Villa?

De Zerbi focused on the way Tottenham lost rather than just the score. After the 3-2 home defeat to Aston Villa, he said his side were too fragile, pointed to avoidable defensive errors and highlighted the loss of balance after going behind. He also said Villa's opener came before the break while Spurs were temporarily down to 10 men.

Why was Mathys Tel left out of Tottenham's game against Aston Villa?

De Zerbi said Mathys Tel's omission was a technical decision and that he explained it to the player on Friday. Tel did not start and was not on the bench against Aston Villa despite featuring in all four of his Premier League appearances this season and playing 259 league minutes before the match.

Are Tottenham in trouble after the Aston Villa defeat?

The pressure is obvious. Tottenham lost 3-2 at home to Aston Villa and remain without a league victory after five matches. They also have 0 Premier League points in the current table. De Zerbi's own comments reflected that mood, with the manager taking responsibility and calling his team fragile after the defensive collapse.

What did Roberto De Zerbi say about Tottenham's defensive problems?

He zeroed in on the first and second goals. De Zerbi said Tottenham should not have conceded the second goal and argued the team lost balance once they were behind. He also said Spurs needed to be stronger, communicate more and defend in a compact way after Villa scored before half-time while Tottenham were briefly a man short.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 7 outlets. How we work →