Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto De Zerbi has demanded that his players maintain their ruthless hunger ahead of Saturday's Premier League derby against Crystal Palace. De Zerbi provided crucial fitness updates on James Maddison and praised young forward Mathys Tel following their historic victory at Chelsea.
Spurs seek momentum after historic Stamford Bridge triumph
Tottenham Hotspur host Crystal Palace at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium looking to build on consecutive Premier League victories. Roberto De Zerbi's side enter the London derby high on confidence following a rare and historic 3-0 triumph away against rivals Chelsea.
Palace arrive in 17th place under new manager Pierre Sage, struggling for form and goals in recent weeks.
Despite the recent high, De Zerbi insists his squad must stay grounded and hungry for more success.
De Zerbi demands relentless hunger from Tottenham squad
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, De Zerbi emphasized that two wins are merely a stepping stone rather than the final destination. "We have not achieved our goal. We want to make our fans happy, not now, at the end of the season," De Zerbi stated.
"Now we have to push, we have to stay focused, we have to increase the spirit, the appetite to win games in a row... The step of this club is to win games in a row and to be angry day by day, game by game, win by win. One time or two times are not enough."
De Zerbi praised the leadership group within the dressing room, including James Maddison, Pedro Porro, and Micky van de Ven, for keeping standards high.
Maddison available as De Zerbi praises Tel's development
De Zerbi confirmed that influential playmaker James Maddison has recovered sufficiently to feature against Palace despite managing his training load. "James is available. He is a special player for us, a special player because he has unique characteristics, different than everyone," De Zerbi noted.
The Italian manager also addressed Mathys Tel's progress following his standout goal against Chelsea. "I'm proud and happy, but first of all for him, because I love working for the players, to improve the players," De Zerbi explained.
"Mathys is working very hard. He's a smart guy. He has a big, big potential. His improvement, I think, is making the decision, the last decision."
Testing test awaits against Pierre Sage's Palace side
Reflecting on their upcoming opponents, De Zerbi expressed high respect for Crystal Palace boss Pierre Sage and the challenges of competing across multiple competitions.
"I know very well Pierre Sage. He is a very good coach... It is not easy to play in three competitions, because they are playing in the Premier League, in the European League and in Carabao Cup," De Zerbi observed.
Tottenham will look to channel their recent momentum to secure another vital three points in front of home supporters.
A sports journalist with nearly a decade of experience, beginning the professional journey at Indonesia's legendary Tabloid BOLA from 2017 until its final print edition in December 2018. Following that, joining GOAL, contributing as a freelance writer for FIFA, and working within the media department of the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF). Alongside the journalism career, also active as a live play-by-play commentator for Indonesian football since 2017. Holds a bachelor's degree in History from the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Padjadjaran, Bandung.
Football Story
Footballing identity built on geography, heritage, and childhood obsession. Although the father played for a traditional rival club, nine years living in Bandung made Persib a spiritual home, sparked in 2006 by Thai goalkeeper Kosin Hathairattanakool and witnessing firsthand how deeply locals own the club. Globally, the first true love was Ronaldo and Inter Milan, enduring the heartbreak of near-misses during injury-plagued years. With Dutch roots in Rotterdam, making Feyenoord the club of choice, the Netherlands national team has always remained close to the heart, highlighted by the 2010 World Cup final, a live 2013 friendly against Indonesia, and Oranje Indonesia watch parties. Arjen Robben and Giovanni van Bronckhorst remain ultimate favorites, while Football Manager 2005 sparked a lasting admiration for Athletic Bilbao’s philosophy. Outside football, allegiance lies with the Chicago Bulls and Golden State Warriors through icons like Michael Jordan, Derrick Rose, and Stephen Curry.
Areas of Expertise
Areas of expertise span Indonesian football and Liga 1 data insights and unique features, alongside Southeast Asian and East Asian football landscapes covering Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Japan, and Korea. Additional skills include digital and social media video content creation such as Instagram reels and podcasts, as well as player profiling, feature writing, live broadcasting, interviewing, photography, and multilingual communication in basic français and español .
Favourite Footballing Memory
Combining a passion for backpacking with professional assignments has made it possible to pursue two goals simultaneously. Meeting and interviewing various Indonesian players pursuing careers or currently based abroad, ranging from across Southeast Asia to Europe, has been an absolute privilege and honor. Traveling independently through the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France, and Japan to track down and connect with Indonesian players competing abroad remains a truly cherished experience. Crafting interview content with them is a body of work that will always hold a special place in memory.
My All-Time XI
It’s tough to lock down a definitive starting XI, but the non-negotiables are Manuel Neuer or Rogério Ceni in goal; alongside Javier Zanetti, Sergio Ramos, N'Golo Kanté, Toni Kroos, Arjen Robben, Mo Salah, and Zlatan Ibrahimović. Juan Román Riquelme or Michael Laudrup most likely complete the tactical puzzle. While legends like Lothar Matthäus, Zinedine Zidane, and Ronaldo are impossible to overlook, they were left out simply because they feature in everyone else's lineup.