De Zerbi apologises after Newcastle defeat but urges Spurs not to panic

Tottenham Hotspur fell 2-0 to Newcastle United on Saturday, with Yoane Wissa and Anthony Elanga finding the net for the visitors. The result extended Spurs’ poor start to the campaign, following an opening loss to Brentford and leaving them at the bottom of the table after a £320 million summer spend.

Roberto De Zerbi issued a public apology to both fans and players, acknowledging the disappointment while insisting the club will not panic. Speaking to Sky Sports he said, “We will not panic… I know where we are going, what the plan is and what difficult problems we could find in our way.” He added that the team’s terrible home record from the previous season appears to be bleeding into the new campaign, but urged supporters to “forget the result” and focus on the longer‑term project.

De Zerbi also reflected on the performance, noting that Spurs played better than Newcastle until the first goal. He highlighted defensive lapses, specifically the distance between defenders and attackers, as an area for improvement. The manager reminded observers that last season the side narrowly avoided relegation and survived a Championship battle together, stressing that “changing two seasons in ten days” is impossible. Nonetheless, he expressed confidence in the squad’s quality and the need for hard work on the pitch to rebuild the connection with the players and reverse the early setbacks.