xavi simons was forced off injured at Molineux on Saturday as Tottenham’s 1-0 win over Wolves gave Roberto De Zerbi a first victory in charge and a much-needed jolt of belief. The result kept Spurs inside the relegation battle, with De Zerbi saying it can change something in the team’s mentality. He now waits on the fitness of two more players after Dominic Solanke also went down.
Spurs take a step, but injury worries deepen
João Palhinha scored the decisive goal in the 82nd minute to seal a narrow away win for Spurs, who had also drawn 2-2 with Brighton last week. The victory left Tottenham still in the relegation zone because of West Ham’s late 2-1 win over Everton, but the mood around the squad changed sharply after the final whistle. De Zerbi celebrated with travelling supporters in the Steve Bull Stand, sharing fist pumps and visible relief after a result he said could matter beyond the scoreline.
With nine players already unavailable, Tottenham will hope xavi simons and Solanke are not sidelined for long. De Zerbi said Solanke has a leg muscle injury, while xavi simons has a knee problem, and added that the club will learn more on Monday or Tuesday. The concern comes at a time when Spurs are trying to steady themselves before next Sunday’s trip to Aston Villa.
De Zerbi urges a stronger mentality
De Zerbi made clear that the performance at Wolves matters because of what it might trigger inside the dressing room. “I hope this result can change something in our head, in our mentality, ” he said, adding that his task is to give players confidence and order on the pitch.
He also stressed that training with the group has changed his view of them. “When I knew better my players, I understood that we have the possibility, the chance to stay up, ” he said. “We have two points [the gap to West Ham], not 10 points. ”
De Zerbi said he sees professional players who are suffering from the situation, and insisted that the response must be simple and calm. “I want to be clear and simple, but we need to stay strong in the head, positive in ourselves, ” he said.
YouTube clips and small margins
The build-up to this run has already seen De Zerbi turn to video in search of solutions. He said he has used YouTube and other analysis tools to study players and find the best fit for limited time, explaining that the approach is meant to help the squad rather than himself.
He pointed to examples from players’ previous work in different roles as a way to build confidence and clarity. The method reflects the scale of the challenge: Spurs are dealing with a long winless stretch, serious pressure at the wrong end of the table, and little margin for error.
The next few days will bring a clearer picture of Solanke and xavi simons, while the bigger test arrives at Aston Villa. For Tottenham, the Wolves win offers a brief lift, but the real question is whether De Zerbi can turn that feeling into points and keep xavi simons and the rest of his injury-hit squad moving in the right direction.
