Italian manager Roberto De Zerbi, the head coach of Tottenham Hotspur, suffered two painful blows during the first half of the clash with Aston Villa, which brought the two sides together today, Saturday, in the fifth round of the Premier League.
Spurs' troubles began early. Spain's Pedro Porro, the team's right-back, picked up an injury in the 17th minute, collapsing on the pitch as Tottenham's medical staff rushed to his side.
The medical staff tried to check on Porro and help him continue, but the defender simply couldn't carry on. That left De Zerbi to make an enforced substitution just a minute later.
Off came Pedro Porro, with teammate Archie Gray brought on in his place in the 18th minute. It was Tottenham's first enforced change of the match.
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Tottenham's suffering didn't stop at Porro's injury. The team was dealt another blow in first-half stoppage time as Aston Villa broke the deadlock in the 45+4th minute.
A joint error from Tottenham's defence and goalkeeper opened the door. Boubacar Kamara delivered a cross into the penalty area, and Youri Manzambi met it with a powerful strike to place the ball into the net.
According to the Squawka statistics network, Tottenham have failed to win any of their last 36 Premier League matches in which they conceded the opening goal. The last time the team came from behind to win was against Aston Villa on 3 November 2024.
De Zerbi's side are still searching for their first Premier League win this season after a stumbling start. They lost to Brentford and Newcastle in the opening two rounds, then drew goalless with Nottingham Forest and Everton. Their woes also extended to the EFL Cup, where they crashed out with a 3-1 defeat to Liverpool.
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