Roberto De Zerbi highlighted Sandro Tonali’s display and praised Luca Williams-Barnett after Tottenham Hotspur defeated Crystal Palace 2-0 on Saturday evening.
Palace were reduced to 10 men in the 11th minute when Jean-Philippe Mateta was sent off following a VAR review of his challenge on Micky van de Ven. Tottenham took advantage in the 25th minute, with Archie Gray heading in from a Mohammed Kudus corner.
Despite facing a numerical disadvantage, Palace remained organised and frustrated Tottenham for long periods. Spurs recorded 34 attempts before Jan Paul van Hecke eventually doubled their lead in the 73rd minute, reacting quickest after his initial header was saved onto the crossbar.
De Zerbi described Tonali as “unbelievable” and “incredible” while assessing Tottenham’s performance. He also praised the team’s improvement in physical condition and said the players showed greater maturity, although he acknowledged that the visitors needed to be more clinical after creating numerous opportunities.
The Tottenham boss also gave 18-year-old Luca Williams-Barnett his Premier League debut late in the match. Williams-Barnett had an opportunity to contribute an assist, but Kudus was unable to finish from close range. De Zerbi called the teenager a major talent and said he felt it was the right moment to introduce him.
