De Zerbi apologizes for Tottenham's 'woeful' 3-0 defeat at Brentford

Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi apologized for his team's dismal 3-0 opening-day Premier League defeat at Brentford, admitting the players failed to fight hard enough. The expensively assembled squad capitulated in a performance that matched Tottenham's joint-heaviest opening day loss in the Premier League era.

The club has invested over £200 million ($272 million) in new signings this summer, aiming to improve on last season's near-relegation finish. De Zerbi handed debuts to four new recruits: Sandro Tonali, Andrew Robertson, Marcos Senesi, and Jan Paul van Hecke all started, with Mateus Fernandes coming off the bench. However, Brentford secured their victory with goals from Keane Lewis-Potter and Vitaly Janelt in the first half, followed by a strike from Michael Kayode after the interval.

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We suffered physically but we knew that before the game. We were not ready to fight the duels. We made a lot of mistakes in the timing of the pressure with Mikey Moore.

De Zerbi offered no excuses for the team's performance, stating, "We suffered physically but we knew that before the game. We were not ready to fight the duels. We made a lot of mistakes in the timing of the pressure." He highlighted the first half, noting that the team was not in the right position to apply effective pressure and lost too many duels, allowing the game to go in Brentford's direction.

Despite the frustrating start and the empty away section at the Gtech Community Stadium well before the final whistle, De Zerbi insisted he would not lose confidence in his players. "I am sorry for the defeat. I know we have to improve in our physical condition and the organisation. There were many new players but it was the first game. It’s part of our journey," he said, acknowledging that the physical condition of some players was not optimal due to late arrivals after the World Cup.

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I am sorry for the defeat. I know we have to improve in our physical condition and the organisation. There were many new players but it was the first game. It’s part of our journey.