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Ivory CoastDe Zerbi Demands More From Struggling Solanke After Villa Defeat
Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi says Dominic Solanke must improve his fitness and confidence after a poor start to the season.
Solanke Struggles to Make an Impact
Tottenham Hotspur are still waiting for their first Premier League win of the season after five matches. A disappointing second half saw them fall to a 3-2 home defeat against Aston Villa on Saturday.
The spotlight is on striker Dominic Solanke. The 29 year old was substituted after 66 minutes following a quiet performance. It followed a similar display in a 0-0 draw at Everton earlier this month.
Solanke cost the club £65 million in 2024. He has played in all seven of Tottenham's games this season but has only scored once. That single goal came against Charlton in the Carabao Cup. He had an injury hit campaign during the 2025 to 2026 season and missed parts of pre season.
De Zerbi Calls for Improvement
Manager Roberto De Zerbi has admitted that Tottenham need more from their expensive forward. He pointed to the striker's fitness and self belief as areas that need work.
"We need more from him, for sure, but he's one of my players," De Zerbi said. He added that Solanke's physical condition is not good enough, though he called this normal after his injury.
De Zerbi also suggested that Solanke might be lacking confidence. He insisted that the forward is much better than his current form shows.
The Richarlison Dilemma
Solanke's current form is drawing extra attention because of Tottenham's squad selection. De Zerbi decided to leave Richarlison out of the club's 25 player Premier League squad.
The Brazilian striker scored 11 league goals last season. He was told he was not in the club's plans but a proposed move to Everton collapsed before the transfer deadline.
De Zerbi claimed that Richarlison decided everything alone after failing to get a transfer in August. The forward could have been included in the squad ahead of long term absentee Xavi Simons.
Lacking Firepower Up Front
Tottenham did manage to score against Aston Villa. Conor Gallagher and Jan Paul van Hecke both found the net, but the team still lacked attacking threat.
Mathys Tel was left out of the matchday squad entirely. De Zerbi explained this was a technical decision, leaving Tel in the stands because he felt James Maddison and Mohammed Kudus had a better chance of changing the game from the bench.
De Zerbi said he explained the decision to Tel, who understood the situation. However, the lack of options up front remains a major issue for Spurs.
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