Roberto De Zerbi has delivered a stark public warning ahead of Tuesday’s trip to Stamford Bridge – insisting that Tottenham Hotspur are still not safe from Premier League relegation and that complacency now would be catastrophic. This is not mind games. This is a manager who has watched his side from close range all season, and he is genuinely not relaxed.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference on Monday, De Zerbi was peppered with questions about summer planning, transfer targets, and what comes next for Spurs. He batted every single one away. The only thing on his mind is Chelsea – and staying up.
De Zerbi’s Relegation Warning in Full
Asked directly about Tottenham’s safety, De Zerbi did not flinch. “We can’t forget one month ago what was the situation,” he told reporters. “We are not safe yet.” Simple. Blunt. Unsettling.
When pressed further on the future, the Spurs manager was equally firm: “It is not correct if I answer you now. Before answering your question, we have to [take] a point in the Premier League – and especially in the Premier League to [take] one point, you have to fight and play very well. We have to keep focused on the game and then we can answer and make a big press conference. But now is not the right time.”
That is a man who has not forgotten what this club looked like a month ago – players reportedly scared of relegation, performances collapsing when the stakes were highest. De Zerbi has been fighting a psychological war as much as a tactical one since he took the job, and he is not about to let that battle slip now.
Where Spurs Actually Stand in the Relegation Battle
On paper, Tottenham’s position looks manageable. They sit two points clear of 18th-placed West Ham, who lost to Newcastle on Sunday, and hold a superior goal difference. Mathematically, one point from their final two fixtures should be enough to survive. Should be.
But as the Premier League relegation battle has shown all season, nothing in this bottom half is settled until the final whistle on the final day. Spurs drew 1-1 with Leeds in their penultimate home fixture – a result that felt more nerve-shredding than comfortable. West Ham are wounded but still breathing, and goal difference swings can happen fast.
The trip to Stamford Bridge is hardly a gift either. Spurs have won just once in 35 Premier League meetings at that ground. Once. In 35 attempts. “Stamford Bridge is difficult,” De Zerbi acknowledged. “Tough stadium because the players of Chelsea in the last 30 to 25 seasons have been fantastic. But tomorrow is a new game.” You have to hope he believes that more than it sounds.
Why Spurs Cannot Afford to Ignore This Warning
De Zerbi is right to keep the fear alive in that dressing room. This is a squad that went more than three months without a Premier League win earlier this season – a club that has spent the back half of the campaign looking over its shoulder in a way that would have seemed unthinkable at the start of it. The ongoing uncertainty around key players, with Micky van de Ven’s future still unresolved, only adds to the sense that this club is holding itself together with tape right now.
On top of that, Dominic Solanke is out with a hamstring injury and will miss Chelsea entirely. James Maddison – making his first competitive appearance in 375 days against Leeds – is a doubt for a full 90 minutes. Cristian Romero, the captain, is only back in individual training after a knee problem. De Zerbi is patching together a team for one of the hardest away days in the division.
One point. That is all Spurs need. But this is Tottenham in 2026 – and De Zerbi is absolutely right not to assume anything.
