It was a case of so close, yet so far for Roberto De Zerbi during his first home game in charge of Tottenham as they played out a 2-2 draw against Brighton.
Georginio Rutter’s last-gasp equaliser meant the North London side are still on the lookout for their first Premier League win of 2026 as they find themselves a point below 17th-placed West Ham United.
Tottenham actually fared well on the night and took the lead through Pedro Porro before Kaoru Mitoma equalised for Brighton. And just as Xavi Simons’s stunner looked like securing the home side all three points, Rutter was on hand to snatch his side a precious draw.
Michael Dawson claimed the result will feel like a defeat for Tottenham. De Zerbi, meanwhile, feels his side played like a team chasing UEFA Champions League qualification.
De Zerbi lauds Tottenham’s display vs Brighton
Tottenham actually fared quite well on the night and showed signs of a team that is fighting to stay in the division.
The result didn’t go their way, but upon deeper inspection, they’ll see it as a step in the right direction, though they still need to start racking up wins.
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De Zerbi feels his players produced a spirited display on the night, adding that they looked like a team chasing Europe and not fighting for relegation.
“I know we are fighting to stay in the Premier League,” said the Italian via Sky Sports.
“A very difficult moment. But we are lucky, every one of us to work in this club with these fans, because it was an incredible atmosphere today.
“You would think we are fighting for the Champions League, not relegation. Until the end, we will fight in every game and give our best. If we are able to give our best, it’s not finished yet.”
De Zerbi calls for reaction vs Wolves
Tottenham were three minutes away from jumping out of the Premier League relegation zone.
And De Zerbi feels his team gave it all despite conceding a last-gasp equaliser, which could have easily been avoided if Kevin Danso cleared his lines.
“I am sorry for the result and players because they are suffering too much and we deserved to win the game against a great Brighton,” continued the Italian.
“A big congratulations on their style and level of players. But we could not concede that goal from Rutter at that point in the game.
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“I am positive, but I am proud of my players because they played a fantastic game full of character, spirit, what I asked of them to play in this stadium, for this club.
“We have to be stronger than this result, we have to move on and prepare the next game against Wolverhampton and to try to win the game because if you are strong like today, we can compete.”
Tottenham take on Wolves next week, which is a must-win game if there ever was one.
After that, they face Aston Villa, Leeds United, Chelsea and Everton, so securing three points against the Premier League’s 20th-placed side is the bare minimum if they want to have a chance of staying up.
