Josh Edwards

Wed 1 April 2026 17:10, UK

Roberto De Zerbi has a huge task on his hands to keep Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League.

The former Brighton boss was named fairly swiftly as Tottenham’s new manager following the sacking of Igor Tudor, with his announcement sparking mixed reactions.

On one hand, a manager of his experience in the Premier League should benefit Spurs in their battle against relegation, but his lack of experience in the current predicament could prove costly.

Nevertheless, De Zerbi is now tasked with keeping Tottenham in the Premier League, and there are several things he must do to ensure that he achieves that

Roberto De Zerbi must avoid repeat of Brighton start

De Zerbi did a sublime job with the Seagulls between 2022 and 2024, where he had Brighton averaging 1.51 points per game throughout the 89 games he was in charge.

They picked up 134 points under his stewardship, which is more than Tottenham have managed in their last three Premier League campaigns.

However, it wasn’t all sunshine and flowers for the Italian at the AMEX, with De Zerbi failing to win any of his first five games in charge of the Seagulls.

Should he repeat that record at Spurs with just seven games to go, relegation is almost certainly nailed on.

Tottenham have a major xG concern

With 6.26 xG in the Premier League this season, Richarlison leads the way for Tottenham, having scored nine goals in that time.

Next on the list is Micky van de Ven with 2.5, showcasing a major drop in quality in the final third.

Last season, Spurs finished the campaign with eight different players having recorded an xG in the top flight of three or more.

Dominic Solanke had 11 xG, while Brennan Johnson was the only other player in North London to have recorded double figures for that metric.

While there are still seven games to go, it should be a major concern for De Zerbi that that number has now dropped to just one player.

Xavi Simons must be utilised correctly at Tottenham

Xavi Simons has been disappointing since his move in the summer, but a lot of that comes down to where he has been played.

The Dutchman has been played out of position for 25 per cent of the games he has featured in this season, with just one goal contribution in that time.

When played centrally, which is by far his best spot in the team, Simons has five goals and five assists.

His creativity could be key to survival, but De Zerbi simply needs to utilise him properly.