Tottenham head coach Roberto De Zerbi has emphasised that the team's disappointing record against Chelsea should act as additional motivation for his squad ahead of the much-anticipated London derby.
Since the inception of the Premier League, Tottenham have managed just one victory at Stamford Bridge. In fact, they have suffered defeat in 10 of their last 12 meetings against their bitter rivals.
Despite these stats, De Zerbi urged his players to focus on the upcoming clash and build on their recent 3-1 home victory over Coventry City on Monday.
De Zerbi: 'This is extra motivation'
When questioned about any potential fear his players might have heading into the derby, the Italian coach was dismissive of such concerns.
"No. I don’t think so, because I have only managed one match against Chelsea as Tottenham's coach. In any case, this should serve as extra motivation, not another problem for us."
"What’s the problem? In the past, I didn’t manage Tottenham, and the team played without me. That’s not an issue. We already have enough challenges. While negative statistics are not the only factors we face, I believe they should become additional motivation," De Zerbi added.
The coach highlighted his desire for the team to use this statistic as a means to enhance their mood, energy, and psychological resilience.
"I want this negative record to give the players more motivation, character, and energy to win the match and perform well. We have plenty of quality to achieve victory."
"Yes, it’s a derby against a very strong team with an excellent coach, a clear style of play, and some fantastic players. But Tottenham also has very good players. Their level is high. Together, as a team, we need to prove this, not individually," the specialist concluded.
