Roberto De Zerbi accepted the VAR reversal that affected Tottenham a day earlier but warned refereeing in Monday’s match felt unsettled. Spurs were held 1–1 by Leeds United as De Zerbi’s side failed to capitalise on a critical opportunity in a game described as physical and frenetic.

De Zerbi said he had no issue with the overturn of Chris Kavanagh’s on-field call and suggested the events surrounding the previous day’s VAR drama may have affected officiating. He singled out the match referee Jarred Gillett, calling the game rushed and the officials lacking calm. “The first minute until the end of the game, the referee went to me, ‘if you go out, yellow card,’ and I think they were not calm today,” he said. The manager was booked late for entering the field after an earlier warning for leaving his technical area.

“Maybe they suffered the pressure of the West Ham-Arsenal game and VAR. For sure, we suffered the pressure for the speed of the ball, for the order on the pitch and we didn’t play with patience.

“Frenetic and we were rushed, but also the referee was not calm,” he added.

On the high-profile VAR incident itself De Zerbi was unequivocal. “I can’t understand the polemic because it was a foul, 200%, not 100%, if you want to talk about football.” He declined to enter wider debate over decisions that went against Spurs in the match, including Mathys Tel’s penalty concession and a penalty not given after Lukas Nmecha’s challenge on James Maddison. “No, I don’t want to come inside the polemic. I didn’t see. I didn’t watch again. I don’t know.”

The draw leaves Tottenham on 38 points with a goal difference of minus nine and two fixtures remaining: Chelsea (A) and Everton (H). West Ham sit on 36 points with a minus 20 goal difference; a win at Newcastle would temporarily move them out of the relegation zone. Opta’s relegation likelihood for Tottenham was noted at 19.54%.

Mauricio Pochettino has acknowledged a desire to return to the Premier League while stopping short of naming Tottenham Hotspur as his destination. The U.S. men’s national team manager, who has previously managed Chelsea, reignited speculation about a European return on the Stick to Football podcast, where he admitted he “really loves” Tottenham Hotspur and will “one day” return to the Premier League, but he did not specifically name north London as his end destination.

Asked if he wants to return to the Premier League, the 54-year-old said, “One day, yes because I really like England. I think my human profile and coach profile match very well with the Premier League and with the culture, the idea, the idiosyncrasy and the philosophy.” Reports linking him to Real Madrid and Tottenham have accompanied his public remarks.

Pochettino also reflected on Tottenham’s current crisis. “It is really sad,” he said. “I really love Tottenham; it’s one of the most important parts of my life as a coach and in my personal life too. I can talk from my experience in Tottenham and what I can tell you for me it’s one of the biggest clubs in the world.

“Tottenham is a massive club with a massive following.” He noted the club’s recent highs under his tenure and elsewhere, and admitted the team “challenged” for silverware but ultimately “missed this last step.”

This season Tottenham sit 18th with 34 points from 34 games and are two points behind 17th-place West Ham United. The club’s managerial sequence moved from Thomas Frank to Igor Tudor and now Roberto De Zerbi as they attempt to climb to safety. Spurs still face fixtures against Aston Villa, Leeds United, Chelsea and Everton as the campaign concludes.

The prospect of relegation to the second tier for the first time since 1977 contrasts sharply with Spurs’ recent achievements: a second-place finish in 2016–17, a Champions League final in 2019 and last season’s Europa League triumph. Pochettino’s comments leave open the possibility of a future return to England, but the club’s immediate plight is the clear caveat.

Roberto De Zerbi has publicly acknowledged the misfortune that has dogged his spell at the club. “I started with not big luck!” he reflected soon after taking charge, and the squad’s current list of absentees has only deepened that problem.

The club face several long-term losses. Solanke’s hamstring injury has been described in a report as “over.” There is a slim possibility of a three-week recovery that might permit limited involvement on the final day, but the account nevertheless presents Solanke’s season as “over.” The forward, noted for his ability to hold the ball up, has been identified as the closest stylistic replacement to Harry Kane at Thomas Tuchel’s disposal. Solanke also appeared in both of England’s March friendlies, but the overstretching at Molineux is likely to have ended his international hopes for the World Cup.

The list of serious injuries continues. De Zerbi had begun forming a “special connection” with Xavi Simons before the Dutch playmaker ruptured his ACL and was left “heartbroken” by the diagnosis. Simons said, “All I’ve wanted to do is fight for my team,” he lamented, “and now the ability to do that has been snatched away from me, along with the World Cup .” Wilson Odobert has also succumbed to an ACL injury after an erratic season in front of goal; he has taken 21 Premier League shots without scoring.

Defensive issues have been compounded by Cristian Romero’s absence. The captain endured a difficult debut season, collecting 11 yellow cards and two reds while a backline conceded the fourth-most goals in the Premier League. Romero suffered a knee injury when shoved into his own goalkeeper and has been forced to watch the final six weeks from the sidelines.

Ben Davies has been out since ankle surgery in January. The 33-year-old is out of contract in June, leaving the prospect that his 12-year stay may end if he cannot return this season.

Mohammed Kudus returned to training earlier this month but suffered a relapse that looks likely to keep him out until the World Cup. On that issue De Zerbi admitted: “I don’t want to push too much as we lost Kudus in this way,” the Italian coach admitted. “I will use the players when they are totally available to play and start training; it’s better to lose one more game than get another injury.”