'If you lose you are stupid' - Roberto De Zerbi's blunt Tottenham warning ahead of Leeds United showdown
Leeds United play the first of two key relegation candidates on Monday night having virtually guaranteed their own safety.
Tottenham Hotspur boss Roberto De Zerbi believes Leeds United fully deserve to be where they are in the Premier League table ahead of next week’s meeting.
Leeds could be mathematically safe from relegation by the time they head to Spurs on Monday night, should West Ham lose against Arsenal a day earlier. Daniel Farke’s side are virtually there already thanks to a 3-1 win over Burnley on Friday which took them nine points clear of the drop and even pulled them up to 14th.
The gap on 18th is now seven points and it’s West Ham in that spot, with Tottenham winning at a much changed Aston Villa side on Sunday. But Leeds remain 14th, sitting above Crystal Palace and within touching distance of Newcastle, following a six-game unbeaten run that is as perfectly-timed as it is impressive.
“We have to play another three games, starting on Monday night with Leeds," Tottenham boss De Zerbi said. “Leeds are playing very well. They are deserving of staying in this position in the table. We can’t forget what the situation was before Wolverhampton.
"The crucial thing now is to keep in our heads what was the situation before the Wolverhampton game. This is the most important memory to keep in our heads because in football it's very easy to change. If you lose you are stupid, if you win you are a champion.
“We have to find the balance. We have to work this week because Leeds is another very tough game and to remember in ourselves what we have done in the past, in the last month."
Leeds United won’t make it easy for Tottenham
Leeds will have an eye on West Ham’s game against Arsenal on Sunday but it won’t be affecting their own preparations. Having all but guaranteed survival on Friday, both Farke and Anton Stach made a point of stressing their desire to keep winning games and climbing as high up the table as possible.
Premier League teams in recent years have received almost £3m extra in merit payments for every position up the table, providing an obvious financial incentive alongside the professionalism of wanting to win each game. Leeds will have a big say in who is relegated, given they face Tottenham and West Ham in their final three matches.
“I am surprised [Tottenham are in a relegation fight] but you have to consider the league we are playing in,” De Zerbi added. “The Premier League is tough. If you suffer so many injuries, if you don't find a win for a long time, if you lose the confidence in yourself, game by game it becomes worse and worse. You have to stop.