Roberto De Zerbi has told his Tottenham players that Sunday's Premier League finale against Everton will be bigger than their Europa League triumph over Manchester United last season, because 'pride' and 'dignity' are more important than any trophy.
After losing 2-1 to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, Spurs head into the final day just two points above relegation rivals West Ham, who face Leeds. De Zerbi emphasised the gravity of the occasion.
'Sunday is the final for Tottenham,' De Zerbi said. 'Not Bilbao against Man United. The most important game is Sunday. Because last season, they played for a trophy. Now we play for something more important than a trophy. The pride, the history of the club, the dignity are more important than that trophy. Trophies, you can win, you can lose, nothing changes in your life, one trophy more. Most important is to keep dignity, keep the pride.'
Spurs improved after James Maddison was introduced in the 69th minute, though they were already 2-0 down. It remains uncertain whether Maddison will be fit to start against Everton. 'I think we can stay up with James and without James,' De Zerbi added. 'The last 20 minutes, we showed more energy, more passion, something more inside of us. But it is difficult. It is an opportunity for every one of us. When you fight relegation, you have to stay inside of the league until the last minute of the last game of the season.'
Chelsea led 2-0 through Enzo Fernandez and Andrey Santos, before Richarlison pulled one back for Spurs, tapping in Pape Matar Sarr's backheeled assist. Spurs felt aggrieved when referee Stuart Attwell cautioned Marc Cucurella for pulling down Micky van de Ven in the box but ordered a corner retake instead of a penalty, with VAR ruling the offence occurred before the ball was in play.
Bournemouth's 1-1 draw with Manchester City confirmed Arsenal as Premier League champions and ensured Chelsea cannot finish sixth, ending their Champions League hopes. The Europa League remains a possibility under Xabi Alonso next season as they travel to Sunderland for their final match.
'Sometimes it wasn't pretty, it was what it looked like,' Chelsea interim boss Calum McFarlane said after their first home league win since January. 'We needed to show grit and determination. That's been questioned in this team before. We knew we couldn't match them with energy or intensity. You could see from minute one there were some lads who were still feeling Wembley (after their FA Cup final loss to Manchester City on Saturday). We got a two-goal lead and defended it well.'
