De Zerbi Urges Solanke to End Tottenham Goal Drought at Liverpool
Roberto De Zerbi has urged Dominic Solanke to trust his ability as Tottenham prepare for a Carabao Cup third-round visit to Liverpool, with the £55 million forward seeking to end a difficult spell in front of goal.
Solanke arrived from Bournemouth in 2024 but has been unable to add to his recent scoring record while Spurs have gone four Premier League matches without finding the net. Their latest league outing finished 0-0 at home to Everton, increasing scrutiny on an attack that has failed to convert promising periods into goals.
De Zerbi backs Solanke to recover
- De Zerbi described Solanke as an intelligent but sensitive player who requires reassurance from his manager and those around him.
- The Tottenham head coach said he has complete faith in the striker and believes a return of 10 to 15 goals remains achievable.
- He pointed to Solanke’s established record at Bournemouth as evidence that the forward can score regularly for Spurs as well.
- De Zerbi suggested injuries, a lack of full physical sharpness and possible frustrations over his role on the pitch may have affected Solanke, but stressed that the player needs minutes to regain rhythm.
“Dom is a sensitive guy,” De Zerbi said. “He needs to feel confidence, and he has a lot of confidence from me. I am sure he can score 10 to 15 goals. He scored at Bournemouth, so there is no reason he cannot do it at Tottenham. It is the same game.”
Focus on final-third decisions
Tottenham have responded to their recent results with detailed video work and team dinners, as De Zerbi looks to improve both the collective mood and the quality of their attacking choices.
The manager said the players had discussed their work in the final third and that he had raised the idea of producing individual video clips for them to review after the squad meal. He believes fine margins in passing and decision-making have prevented Spurs from turning early pressure into goals.
“In the first 30 minutes there are a lot of opportunities where one small difference — a better pass or a better decision — could change the match,” he said.
De Zerbi also called for patience after what he described as two or three inconsistent seasons. He warned that repeatedly replacing coaches or players would not automatically solve the club’s problems, insisting Tottenham must remain humble, work consistently and retain belief in the decisions already made.
“We have to be stronger mentally and believe in the quality of the players,” he added. “You can keep changing players and coaches, but nothing changes. We have to keep working with the right spirit. I believe in the players and hope they have the same belief in themselves.”
Liverpool test and squad update
Tottenham now face a demanding trip to Anfield, where they have gone 17 games without a victory, in the third round of the Carabao Cup.
- Sandro Tonali will miss the match after sustaining a knock.
- Pedro Porro and James Maddison are still unavailable.
- Destiny Udogie has returned to contention.
- Mohammed Kudus is fit enough to start.
- Richarlison is eligible for the competition but will not be included in the matchday group.
With several selection issues to manage, De Zerbi will need his available attackers to provide a sharper response at Anfield as Spurs attempt to halt their run without a Premier League goal.
