Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto De Zerbi hailed his players’ “attitude and spirit” but admitted they did not play well in the second half against Wolves in the Premier League.
Joao Palhinha came off the bench to score the only goal of the game at Molineux to keep Spurs’ hopes of avoiding relegation well and truly alive.
It was the visitors first victory in 2026 to end a 15-game winless run that has seen the north London club slip into the bottom three in recent weeks.
The result means Spurs remain in the relegation zone, two points adrift of West Ham, who also picked up an important win against Everton on Saturday.
‘A very important three points’
De Zerbi said after the game that the pressure of the occasion might have had an impact on what he deemed a poor second half performance, but the Italian also hailed the mentality of his team.
“Maybe the pressure to win the game [had an impact] but in the second half we didn’t play well,” the Spurs boss said.
“[But] today was a very important three points. The quality of the players is so high. We can’t lose our style. We can’t show the quality of the players if we play like we did in the second half.
“But in terms of attitude and spirit, [a] great 90 minutes.”
Next up for Tottenham is a trip to Aston Villa next Sunday, knowing another positive result is vital in their bid for top-flight survival.
De Zerbi added: “I think the players know what they are and what they can do on the pitch, especially this season.
“So they have to be positive. They have to feel full confidence because they are good.”
