Tottenham: Roberto De Zerbi appointment should have Sunderland worried
Tottenham Hotspur look set to hire Roberto De Zerbi in the coming days, and Sunderland should be worried.
Spurs are understood to be close to completing a five-year contract to hire the Italian as their new boss, in an attempt to preserve their Premier League status.
The ex-Brighton man’s first game in charge will be against the Wearsiders on 12 April, and it will be a crucial clash for the North London club.
Tottenham need De Zerbi to hit the ground running, with just seven league matches left, and history suggests that he can do just that.
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Why De Zerbi’s previous should worry Sunderland
De Zerbi’s first match as Brighton boss should provide Tottenham fans with encouragement and leave Sunderland scared, as his side produced a stunning 3-3 draw against Liverpool in October 2022.
In that game, his side managed 46 per cent of the possession, and created 1.37 expected goals to the Reds’ figure of 1.47, per Sofascore.
They created six big chances to the Anfield outfit’s five, showing the attacking intent that De Zerbi brought.
| Liverpool | De Zerbi’s Brighton stats vs Liverpool | Brighton |
| 54% | Possession | 46% |
| 1.47 | Expected Goals | 1.37 |
| 5 | Big chances | 6 |
| 540 | Passes | 460 |
| 49% | Duels won | 51% |
| 14 | Tackles | 23 |
| 9 | Interceptions | 14 |
His side completed 460 passes to the hosts’ 540, which suggests that they were firmly in the game, rather than being outplayed by Jurgen Klopp’s team.
Brighton won 51 per cent of the duels in the contest, with the Reds winning just 49 per cent, and made 23 tackles, compared to 14 for the opposition.
They also made 14 interceptions, as opposed to just nine for the hosts, meaning that they were constantly trying to win the ball back.
Why Tottenham fans should be backing De Zerbi
If he can have the same impact on the Lilywhites, coming in and making the team score lots of goals and fight for the ball, Spurs fans will believe that he is the man to keep them up.
The opposition for his first potential game in charge is not as reputable as the 20-time Premier League champions, but it is a Black Cats side that have been formidable at home this season.
He will have an ample amount of time to drill his ideas into the players if he is appointed this week, and if he can repeat his previous exploits, it will concern Regis Le Bris’ side.
He need supporters to back him unconditionally to turn their fortunes around in the final few weeks of the season.
Summer Focus: Survival contingent
Risk: £250m hit if relegated
Long-term: Maddison, Kulusevski
Date: Sunday, April 12
Candidates: De Zerbi, Keane, Redknapp, Dyche