For his next trick, Roberto De Zerbi will attempt to make Tottenham’s wretched home form disappear.
The Italian has arrived in style, ending a 15-game winless run in the Premier League and following up victory at Wolverhampton Wanderers with another at Aston Villa.
He has dispersed the gloom and restored belief that Spurs can survive the drop and conjure a brighter future – belief that will only grow after West Ham’s defeat by Arsenal – but the mystery of the miserable home form yet to be solved.
Twenty six of their 37 points have come on the road. At home, they have won only two of 17 in the league, lost 10 and not claimed three points in N17 since Brentford were the visitors on December 9.
‘A coincidence,’ said De Zerbi as Leeds descend. Perhaps it has helped him to work his magic at a distance, removed from the pressure of a large expectant and often anxious crowd.
Three of his first four games in charge have been away. His only home fixture came against Brighton when Spurs were denied victory by an equaliser deep in stoppage time.
The final three of this season-to-forget are all in London, however, with a trip to Chelsea next week before a home game against Everton to finish.
For his next trick, Roberto De Zerbi must banish Tottenham’s wretched home form
Tottenham have been dismal at their lavish new stadium this season
‘Against Atletico Madrid they won, against Borussia Dortmund in January, they won in the Champions League,’ said De Zerbi trying to find some sense in it all.
‘If you ask me, against Brighton, we won. We won, but we didn’t take three points. We took one point, but in my head, we won. As a performance, if we analyse the game against Brighton, it’s like a win.’
But he prefers to concentrate on the continuity following wins at Wolves and Villa.
‘I don’t want to lose energy,’ said De Zerbi. ‘It’s a mistake to focus on this. We have to be good, be smart, keep this mentality, keep this momentum with the same qualities we showed in this last period.
‘Then we can analyse why we have not won too many games at home, what were the problems at home.’
De Zerbi though rules out the notion that the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is too nice, that it invokes comfort in his own players and inspires visiting teams.
‘No, because there are a lot of big, very nice stadiums, like theatres in the Premier League,’ he said. ‘Tottenham’s stadium is hot. When I was here with Brighton, and two weeks ago against Brighton, the stadium was very, very hot.
‘The atmosphere was amazing, with 60,000 fans to support you, to push you before the game, during the game, after the game, very close to the players.
‘We are lucky to play in this stadium. That we are not getting many points is a coincidence. I don’t know why, but it is a pleasure to play in that stadium, for sure.’
But away wins over Wolves and Aston Villa have given the north London strugglers hope
The return of Rodrigo Bentancur has had a hugely positive impact on Spurs’ fortunes
De Zerbi has turned fortunes with his personality and leadership as much as any tactical wizardry.
The timely return of Rodrigo Bentancur has also played an important role.
Bentancur’s return from three months out with a hamstring injury coincides with Spurs picking up points again.
They have won only one of a dozen games played without him in the Premier League this season, and he is the keystone of the midfield because he has defensive instinct and tactical acumen to go with his technical ability.
He is tidy in possession and can pass the ball, which is a surprisingly rare quality among the Spurs options in midfield. Something which must infuriate a coach like De Zerbi, who values possession.
His experience is important, too. The Uruguayan can be cynical, which insures against potential counter attacks.
Bentancur brings physical presence and aerial power to the midfield and offers threat in the air at set pieces.
De Zerbi calls him ‘a complete player’ and likes the way he keeps the ‘order’ and ‘balance’ of the team.
When Thomas Frank paired Bentancur in central midfield with Joao Palhinha early in the season, Spurs were prone to lose fluency, they did not play forward quickly enough and were vulnerable when opponents pressed high.
Under De Zerbi, Spurs have recognised when to be direct and the Bentancur-Palhinha axis looked strong at Villa Park.
Back up keeper Antonin Kinsky is another who has made an impressive return since Guglielmo Vicario’s hernia operation and banished memories of his mistakes at Atletico Madrid.
‘After Madrid, for sure there was a big motivation for him,’ said De Zerbi. ‘If you have pride, if you have dignity, if you have spirit, if you have character, and he has all these values.
‘He is a big character, big personality. Great guy, great professional, and great goalkeeper. He’s playing very well, he has to stay with the focus and don’t take risks in any situation, but he is playing very well and is very important for us.’
Number one Vicario, who is expected to leave for Inter Milan in the summer, is not yet back in full training.
‘Vicario is still the first goalkeeper of Tottenham,’ said De Zerbi. ‘But we have to consider the physical condition, the period and how many games he missed. We will see when Vicario will be good.’
