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De Zerbi explains substitutions after Spurs' loss to Villa

Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Sep 19, 2026, 3:10 PM

Last updated Sep 19, 2026

De Zerbi explains substitutions after Spurs' loss to Villa

Summary

Roberto De Zerbi addressed decisions made during Tottenham's match against Aston Villa on September 19, where Spurs lost 3-2. De Zerbi substituted Mateus Fernandes at halftime due to dissatisfaction with his performance. Spurs trailed 1-0 at that point, and De Zerbi later emphasized his trust in Fernandes while explaining that Mohammed Kudus was brought on to provide a different dynamic. Fernandes played a central role as injuries affected the starting lineup. Mathys Tel was not included in the matchday squad due to technical considerations, as De Zerbi opted for a different bench strategy.

Source Links

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Status Watch

•Spurs lost 3-2 to Aston Villa on September 19.
•De Zerbi substituted Fernandes at halftime, citing performance issues.
•Kudus replaced Fernandes to add a different element.
•Tel was excluded from the matchday squad as a technical decision.
•Spurs were down 1-0 at halftime before the eventual loss.

Latest Updates

3:10 PMYahoo Sports — De Zerbi criticises Fernandes’ performance and explains why he left out Tel

What they're saying

"
Roberto De Zerbi said that he did not like Mateus Fernandes when explaining why he brought off the midfielder at half-time in Spurs’ loss to Aston Villa.The Italian’s side were 1-0 down at half-ti...
— Yahoo Sports

Related Teams & Leagues

Aston Villa Tottenham Hotspur West Ham United EPL Soccer