De Zerbi Demands Spurs Response at Wolves Despite Relegation Fears

Tottenham Hotspur head coach Roberto De Zerbi has insisted his side must not overlook their precarious Premier League position as they prepare to face already-relegated Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday. Speaking in his pre-match press conference, the Italian acknowledged the mounting pressure but urged his players to focus on execution rather than anxiety.

Key Takeaways

• Relegation battle: Spurs sit in the bottom three, two points adrift of 17th-placed West Ham, with just five games remaining.
• First win elusive: De Zerbi's side are still searching for their first league victory of 2026 after a 2-2 draw against Brighton.
• Wolves threat: Despite being relegated, Wolves have recent home wins over Aston Villa and Liverpool, plus a draw with Arsenal.
• Maddison update: James Maddison travels but remains unavailable due to a pain issue; not yet match fit.
• Injury list: Destiny Udogie, Pape Sarr, Guglielmo Vicario, Cristian Romero, Mohamed Kudus and Dejan Kulusevski are all sidelined.
• Anti-racism stance: Spurs will wear 'Spurs against Racism' t-shirts after Kevin Danso received online abuse last weekend.

De Zerbi: 'We Can't Forget the Table'

Speaking ahead of the trip to Molineux, De Zerbi struck a careful tone – refusing to burden his players with extra pressure while stressing the urgency of the situation. “I don't want to put pressure but we have to know the situation. We can't forget the table; we can't forget we need to win,” he said, as quoted by Sky Sports.

Spurs are two points adrift of safety with five matches left, and Nottingham Forest could extend the gap to eight points if they beat Sunderland on Friday. De Zerbi admitted his side's efforts so far have not been enough. “What we have done until now is not enough. If we win at Wolves, it's not finished,” he added.

The Italian acknowledged the challenge posed by a Wolves side that has nothing to lose. “The last three at home, they drew with Arsenal, and won against Aston Villa and Liverpool. It's a tough game because they have nothing to lose. We have to be able to play, not too much pressure.”

Maddison Still Sidelined; Injury Crisis Deepens

James Maddison will travel with the squad but is not ready to feature, De Zerbi confirmed. The England midfielder made his long-awaited return to the bench against Brighton after an ACL injury suffered in pre-season, but a fresh pain issue has delayed his comeback. “Maddison is not available yet. He felt pain. Especially this week, he felt pain, but it's not a serious problem,” De Zerbi said.

Destiny Udogie, Pape Sarr and Guglielmo Vicario are all unavailable, joining captain Cristian Romero, Mohamed Kudus and Dejan Kulusevski on the sidelines. De Zerbi provided updates: “Destiny has a problem… I hope Udogie will be available for Villa Park. Sarr felt pain in his shoulder. Vicario is not available. I hope he can start with me on Monday.”

Spurs Take a Stand Against Racism

Tottenham have confirmed they will wear t-shirts reading “Spurs against Racism” ahead of the Wolves game, following racist abuse directed at defender Kevin Danso after last weekend's draw. The club stated they reported all content to the Metropolitan Police, leading to account bans. De Zerbi expressed his anger over the incident: “I was very annoyed about the abuse aimed at Kevin. He played a fantastic game. I don't consider one mistake so important. He will be here next season because he's a good guy.”

For more on Tottenham's relegation fight, visit our Tottenham Hotspur club page or follow the Premier League standings.