De Zerbi turns Tottenham’s Stamford Bridge hoodoo into motivation for Chelsea test

Spurs aim to end miserable Stamford Bridge run

Roberto De Zerbi is urging Tottenham to turn their poor record at Stamford Bridge into motivation ahead of Saturday’s Premier League meeting with Chelsea.

Tottenham have won just once in their last 36 league visits to Chelsea’s ground, with 11 draws and 24 defeats. Their only victory in that spell was a 3-1 win in the 2017-18 Premier League season; they have taken only two points from eight visits since. Spurs have also lost their last six Premier League London derbies, while Chelsea have won six consecutive top-flight matches against Tottenham.

De Zerbi said the run could help sharpen his players’ resolve rather than weigh them down. “I want this negative record to give us more motivation and more mentality, more energy to win a game and play well, because we have enough qualities to win this game,” he told reporters.

The Tottenham manager acknowledged the challenge posed by Chelsea, describing them as “a very good team” with “a clear style of play and great players”. He said his own squad also had quality, but needed to show it collectively as well as individually.

De Zerbi calls for controlled aggression

Spurs go into the fixture after beating Coventry City 3-1 for their first league win of the campaign, with James Maddison, Omar Marmoush and Ben Davies scoring. But De Zerbi noted that Tottenham have struggled to put league victories together since the start of last season.

Asked about discipline following Rodrigo Bentancur’s dismissal against Manchester United, De Zerbi said managing the balance between spirit and control was difficult. He added that he trusted his players to choose their reactions, saying he would prefer a response that was “too strong” over one showing “without blood, without reaction”.

The rivalry’s notorious flashpoints include the 2017 “Battle of the Bridge”, which finished 2-2. Harry Kane and Son Heung-min scored for Tottenham, while Gary Cahill and Eden Hazard replied for Chelsea. A later altercation involving Mousa Dembele and Diego Costa led to Dembele receiving a six-match suspension for violent conduct.