Roberto De Zerbi apologises after Tottenham’s brutal Brentford defeat as Spurs boss admits he was ‘surprised’ by result

Roberto De Zerbi was left with little choice but to apologise after Tottenham Hotspur were ruthlessly beaten 3-0 by Brentford on the opening day of the Premier League season.

The defeat was a brutal reality check for Spurs, who had hoped a major summer rebuild under their new manager would mark the beginning of a much brighter chapter. Instead, the 2025 Europa League winners were comprehensively outplayed by the Bees and suffered another painful reminder of their recent struggles.

Tottenham had finished 17th in each of the previous two Premier League campaigns and invested heavily in their squad during the summer. Yet their first competitive outing offered few signs that those problems had disappeared.

Speaking to Sky Sports after the match, De Zerbi admitted he had not expected such a result, although he knew exactly where his side could struggle.

“We suffered physically but we knew that before the game. We were not ready to fight the duels,” he said.

The Italian also accepted responsibility for the performance.

“I’m sorry for that, I’m sorry for the defeat.”

De Zerbi admits Spurs lost too many battles

For De Zerbi, the biggest problem was not simply Brentford’s finishing. He believed Tottenham repeatedly lost the physical contests that allowed the hosts to control the match.

The Spurs boss highlighted their poor timing when pressing, particularly with Mikey Moore attempting to pressure Brentford’s left centre-back.

“We arrived late too many times, but then we lost too many duels to compete with Brentford,” De Zerbi explained.

He acknowledged that Tottenham still have plenty of work to do, particularly with their physical condition and organisation.

With so many new players arriving during the summer, De Zerbi stressed that building a cohesive team would take time.

“To become a team we need two things: soul and style of play.”

He felt Tottenham showed some of the first quality, but not enough of the competitive edge required against Brentford.

“Today I think there was the soul, but in the end we didn’t fight in the right way for the difference of the duels.”

The manager also pointed out that Brentford are among the Premier League’s strongest sides when it comes to one-on-one battles, man-to-man situations and set pieces.

‘I didn’t expect this result’

Despite the scale of the defeat, De Zerbi insisted he had not lost faith in his players.

He believed Tottenham had initially positioned themselves correctly with their high press, but the number of duels they lost in the first half ultimately changed the direction of the match.

“I believe in my players.”

De Zerbi also rejected the idea that Spurs should abandon their plans after one disastrous afternoon.

“We can’t destroy everything because we are working well,” he said, while acknowledging that the team still needs to analyse the performance and identify where improvements are required.

The manager noted that several players had started pre-season late, including Senesi and Bergvall, meaning the squad was not yet at the same level physically.

However, he refused to use that as an excuse.

“I don’t want excuses, stay focused on the improvement we have to do.”

Spurs were punished from the opening stages

The warning signs appeared just 12 minutes into the match.

After the optimism generated by Tottenham’s summer transfer business, Brentford quickly exposed weaknesses in the visitors’ defence. Keane Lewis-Potter finished a slick attacking move to give the hosts the lead.

Tottenham responded with greater intensity, but their attempts to push forward only created further opportunities for Brentford.

Vitaly Janelt doubled the advantage after Antonín Kinsky could only parry the ball into his path, leaving the midfielder with an empty net.

Spurs went into half-time facing a two-goal deficit and had failed to contain Brentford’s physical approach.

The second half offered little improvement.

Michael Kayode added Brentford’s third following another mistake by Kinsky, effectively ending any hope of a Tottenham comeback.

The hosts could even have scored a fourth when Igor Thiago was awarded a penalty. He sent Kinsky the wrong way but struck the post.

A difficult September awaits Tottenham

De Zerbi now has little time to dwell on the defeat.

Tottenham will be involved in midweek cup action against Charlton Athletic before facing another difficult Premier League test next weekend, when Newcastle United travel to north London.

The schedule then becomes increasingly demanding, with matches against Nottingham Forest, Everton and Aston Villa also coming up in September.

For a Tottenham side hoping that a major summer rebuild would finally bring an end to their recent struggles, the 3-0 defeat at Brentford could hardly have provided a harsher opening-day reality check.

De Zerbi knows there is plenty to fix, particularly when it comes to physical condition, organisation and the willingness to win individual battles. But despite admitting he was surprised by the scoreline, the Italian remains convinced that his new-look Spurs side can improve.