Unai Emery has backed Roberto De Zerbi to guide Tottenham into the Premier League’s top four despite the club’s difficult start to the season.
The Aston Villa manager offered his support ahead of the two sides’ meeting, insisting that the early pressure surrounding De Zerbi should not determine Tottenham’s prospects for the campaign.
Emery backs Tottenham to finish in the top four
Emery said: “I expect Tottenham to be in top four at the end of the season.”
He also praised De Zerbi’s managerial ability and called for patience while the Tottenham head coach works with a reshaped squad.
“De Zerbi is a fantastic manager, he needs time. The players are fantastic as well,” Emery added.
Tottenham made significant changes to their squad during the summer, with the investment intended to help the club compete more consistently for Champions League qualification. However, the new-look side has yet to produce a regular run of positive results.
De Zerbi’s approach is built around positional play, ambitious build-up football and fluid attacking movements. Results have so far fallen short of expectations, but Emery’s assessment suggests he believes Tottenham’s performances can improve as the players adapt to the system.
The backing from the Villa manager provides De Zerbi with public support as Tottenham attempt to recover from their sluggish opening and challenge for a top-four place.
