Roberto De Zerbi singles out four "higher level" Leeds United players with humble Tottenham declaration

Roberto De Zerbi has served up huge Leeds United praise ahead of Monday night’s showdown against his new Tottenham side, singling out four Whites men in particular as “higher level”.

Leeds and Tottenham are still battling to remain at the highest level of English football, fourth-bottom Spurs only one point clear of the drop zone and Leeds themselves not yet mathematically safe from relegation.

De Zerbi, though says Leeds are one of the best teams in the division at the current moment, Daniel Farke’s Whites heading to Tottenham on a six-game unbeaten league run that has included a win at Manchester United and draw at Bournemouth.

Under new boss De Zerbi, Spurs themselves have won back-to-back league games for just the second time this season and first time since August but De Zerbi has declared that his team must remain “humble” ahead of Monday’s visit of the Whites.

The Italian also singled out Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Ethan Ampadu, Noah Okafor and Ao Tanaka as four “very good players” - not for relegation but competing at a higher level.

Speaking at his pre-match press conference and as quoted by Tottenham Hotspur’s official website, De Zerbi said of Leeds: “First of all, we go to play against one of the best teams in this moment, because in the last five, six games they won against Manchester United, they drew in Bournemouth playing well, they won at home two times, Wolves and Burnley, and for that we have a big respect.

“We can't think in a different way. We have to keep this mentality. We must remain humble - nothing changes.

“Not to fight for relegation, but a higher level”

“We have to prepare for an important game, but the same way we are playing, because we didn't play so well in Wolves, the first 30 minutes we played okay.

“Against Brighton at home, we played 90 minutes, and extra time, very well. So, we have to stay focused on this type of performance, this type of attitude and this type of spirit, and showing the qualities of the players.”

Asked how impressed and surprised he had been with Leeds, De Zerbi said: “Their style is very clear. They have a great organisation on the pitch, with the ball and without the ball.

“They have good players, because Calvert-Lewin and Okafor, Tanaka and Ampadu are all very good players not to fight for relegation, but a higher level.

“The focus is on us, not because we become arrogant, but because we have the quality enough if we play like we know, like we can, to win the game, for sure.”