Spurs boss Roberto de Zerbi has been speaking to the media before Saturday’s Premier League game against Aston Villa at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (kick-off 12:30 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

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• Record signing Tonali is “working very hard” to get up to speed after his summer move: “His adaptation hasn’t been fast, but the same happened in his first season at AC Milan. I know he was younger then but it isn’t easy to change club, city and style of play – sometimes it comes immediately, sometimes it needs more time.”

• He recognises Maddison’s “characteristics, experience and passing qualities” are different to his other options in attacking midfield, with Mohammed Kudus not being a natural number 10 and Mateus Fernandes needing to work on being more decisive.

• Dejan Kulusevski, who has not featured at all since May 2025, being back in training to some degree is “great news”. The international break will be important for his rehabilitation and he will be “like a new signing” when he is back to full fitness.

• De Zerbi was forced to reiterate that Conor Gallagher isn’t “underrated” by him: “When he hasn’t played this season, it has been because I needed different characteristics for that game. Maybe last season we needed different things and we had less competition in the squad, but I still love him. He is my player, when I call on him he is always ready to play, fight and run.”

• Tottenham must “stay calm, remain confident and keep trying to be better day by day” to secure their first league win of the season. He promised to show improvement “not by words but by facts”, but admitted to never experiencing goalscoring problems in his managerial career.

• Selling Will Lankshear to Middlesbrough “wasn’t a mistake” because Dominic Solanke and Omar Marmoush are “good players”, plus the Richarlison transfer saga “changed in the last five days of the window”. He added: “We have three strikers – how many more do people want me to have in my squad? I think it is enough.”

• On whether the three-week international break comes at a bad time after building a three-game unbeaten run following a tricky start: “We have to accept it – nothing more. I would work every day if I could, but if we have to stop then we have to stop.”

• Aston Villa’s trip to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is the “most important thing” right now. He explained: “If we don’t play well, we won’t win against them. Let’s hope for a good performance.”

• Villa counterpart Unai Emery is in a similar position to De Zerbi this season, having “changed many players this summer”, so the Italian anticipates a “tough game” for both sides.

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