De Zerbi Hails Tottenham Resilience After Late Manchester United Draw
Tottenham will use a training camp in Spain to reinforce the resilience shown in Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Manchester United, with Roberto De Zerbi viewing the late comeback as a possible turning point in a difficult opening to the Premier League season.
A result that offered Tottenham a foundation
Spurs are still awaiting their first league victory after six matches, despite a summer of heavy investment following last season’s narrow escape from relegation. The run matches only two previous starts in the club’s Premier League history: 1955-56 and 2008-09.
Yet the response at Old Trafford gave De Zerbi and his squad encouragement. Manchester United went in front through Bryan Mbeumo, while Tottenham also had to cope with Rodrigo Bentancur’s dismissal. Dominic Solanke nevertheless rescued a point in stoppage time, heading in to complete a determined recovery.
De Zerbi felt his side had played well before the trip to Manchester, but said this was the first performance in which his players consistently operated as a united side. He praised their willingness to remain committed through every phase, attacking and defending collectively rather than allowing the setback of the red card to fragment the display.
Key moments at Old Trafford
- Bryan Mbeumo gave Manchester United the lead.
- Tottenham’s task became harder when Rodrigo Bentancur was sent off.
- Spurs remained competitive with 10 men and continued to press for an equaliser.
- Captain Dominic Solanke headed home in stoppage time to secure a 1-1 draw.
Spain camp aimed at turning a group into a team
Tottenham travel to Spain before returning to domestic action at home to promoted Coventry next Monday. De Zerbi sees the camp as an opportunity for his players to spend more time together away from the match schedule, including meals and training, in order to improve relationships across the squad.
The head coach stressed that his objective is to create a proper team rather than merely assemble a talented collection of players. In his view, that requires every player to share responsibility for difficult moments and for substitutes to enter with the same commitment as those selected from the start.
Mateus Fernandes was highlighted as an example of the required mentality, with De Zerbi insisting that players introduced for only a few minutes must make an immediate contribution without letting disappointment over selection affect their performance.
De Zerbi also called for a balance between self-belief and continued urgency in training and matches. The draw at United does not alter Tottenham’s winless league record, but it has supplied the squad with evidence that it can respond under pressure.
Key takeaways
- Tottenham remain without a Premier League win after six fixtures.
- The 1-1 draw came despite Bentancur’s red card and United taking the lead through Mbeumo.
- Solanke’s stoppage-time header earned Spurs a point at Old Trafford.
- De Zerbi believes the performance showed greater collective character than earlier matches.
- A Spain training camp precedes next Monday’s home match against Coventry.
