Roberto De Zerbi believes Tottenham’s rivalry with Chelsea can give his players extra motivation as they fight to secure their Premier League status.
Spurs can confirm their place in the top flight next season with a win over Chelsea on Tuesday night. Their survival hopes were boosted after West Ham lost 3-1 to Newcastle at St James’ Park, leaving Tottenham in control of their own fate.
When De Zerbi arrived, Spurs were in the relegation zone. Since then, the Italian has helped spark a revival, taking seven points from his last three matches and moving the club above West Ham, who have only one game left to play.
Now Tottenham face one of their biggest rivals in a match that could define their season.
The London rivalry has produced several heated moments over the years, including the famous “Battle of the Bridge” in 2016, when Chelsea’s comeback ended Tottenham’s hopes of winning the Premier League title.
Chelsea FC 
Tottenham Hotspur FC Asked whether the rivalry adds pressure before the game, De Zerbi said his players must embrace it rather than fear it.
“We have to accept the pressure,” he said. “We have to enjoy this pressure, we have to find new motivation for this pressure. I think it’s a good thing for us.”
The Spurs boss also suggested that outside noise can help drive his squad.
“If everyone wants Tottenham to get relegated, that’s a big motivation for me and I hope for my players as well,” he added.
De Zerbi insists rivalries are part of what makes football special and wants his players to imagine the reward of winning such an important match in front of their supporters.
“We have to accept that football rivalries in football are nice,” he said. “It’s good to imagine ourselves celebrating the win in the stadium. It’s a motivation, it’s a challenge.”
For Tottenham, the equation is simple. Beat Chelsea and their Premier League survival is secured. For De Zerbi, doing it against a fierce London rival would make the moment even sweeter.
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | +/- | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal FC Arsenal | 38 | 26 | 7 | 5 | 71 | 27 | 44 | 85 |
| 2 | Manchester City FC Man City | 38 | 23 | 9 | 6 | 77 | 35 | 42 | 78 |
| 3 | Manchester United FC Man United | 38 | 20 | 11 | 7 | 69 | 50 | 19 | 71 |
| 4 | Aston Villa FC Aston Villa | 38 | 19 | 8 | 11 | 56 | 49 | 7 | 65 |
| 5 | Liverpool FC Liverpool | 38 | 17 | 9 | 12 | 63 | 53 | 10 | 60 |
| 6 | AFC Bournemouth Bournemouth | 38 | 13 | 18 | 7 | 58 | 54 | 4 | 57 |
| 7 | Sunderland AFC Sunderland | 38 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 42 | 48 | -6 | 54 |
| 8 | Brighton & Hove Albion FC Brighton Hove | 38 | 14 | 11 | 13 | 52 | 46 | 6 | 53 |
| 9 | Brentford FC Brentford | 38 | 14 | 11 | 13 | 55 | 52 | 3 | 53 |
| 10 | Chelsea FC Chelsea | 38 | 14 | 10 | 14 | 58 | 52 | 6 | 52 |
| 11 | Fulham FC Fulham | 38 | 15 | 7 | 16 | 47 | 51 | -4 | 52 |
| 12 | Newcastle United FC Newcastle | 38 | 14 | 7 | 17 | 53 | 55 | -2 | 49 |
| 13 | Everton FC Everton | 38 | 13 | 10 | 15 | 47 | 50 | -3 | 49 |
| 14 | Leeds United FC Leeds United | 38 | 11 | 14 | 13 | 49 | 56 | -7 | 47 |
| 15 | Crystal Palace FC Crystal Palace | 38 | 11 | 12 | 15 | 41 | 51 | -10 | 45 |
| 16 | Nottingham Forest FC Nottingham | 38 | 11 | 11 | 16 | 48 | 51 | -3 | 44 |
| 17 | Tottenham Hotspur FC Tottenham | 38 | 10 | 11 | 17 | 48 | 57 | -9 | 41 |
| 18 | West Ham United FC West Ham | 38 | 10 | 9 | 19 | 46 | 65 | -19 | 39 |
| 19 | Burnley FC Burnley | 38 | 4 | 10 | 24 | 38 | 75 | -37 | 22 |
| 20 | Wolverhampton Wanderers FC Wolverhampton | 38 | 3 | 11 | 24 | 27 | 68 | -41 | 20 |
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