Roberto De Zerbi must fix Tottenham Hotspur discipline problem, Premier League safety depends on it
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Credit: Imago Wed 6 May 2026 10:00, UK Roberto De Zerbi has fixed several problems since arriving in North London, but Tottenham Hotspur are far from Premier League safety.Spurs have moved one point clear of the relegation zone after claiming a 2-1 win at Villa Park on Sunday, 3 May, pushing West Ham into 18th with just three games of the season remaining.There is now a growing confidence that the Lilywhites will still be playing Premier League football next term, but there remains plenty of time for twists and turns before their fate is sealed.Tottenham still have to play Leeds United, Chelsea and Everton, but what became clear against the Villans is that the manager needs to address some foolish decisions from some of his players.Tottenham must cut out stupid cautions in the Premier LeagueSpurs finished the game with five yellow cards to Villa’s two after 90 minutes at Villa Park. Samuel Barrott was the man in charge, and had it been someone else, cautions might have been flying.
MORE FOOTBALL INSIDER STORIES While yellow cards are a normal part of the game, Randal Kolo Muani was booked for delaying the restart after just 27 minutes, and Mathys Tel was punished for kicking the ball away.Although Conor Gallagher was also carded for delaying the restart, his happened in the sixth minute of added time, stopping Unai Emery’s side from taking a quick free kick and allowing his teammates to reset.Premier League clubsYellow cardsRed cardsTottenham904Brighton850Bournemouth811Chelsea797Sunderland773On another day, Muani and Tel’s decisions could have landed them in hot water, especially given the temperature of the game at Villa Park. Spurs’ discipline could still come back to bite them.Premier League survival is now in the hands of Roberto De ZerbiSupporters from up and down the Premier League were predicting Spurs would drop this season, with very few able to predict where any points would come from in the end-of-season run-in.With just three games left, however, the onus is now on West Ham to flip the script, having moved into the relegation zone ahead of a difficult clash with table-toppers Arsenal on Sunday, 10 May.Football Insider understands that, whatever happens, West Ham are backing Nuno Espirito Santo, which would suggest that those behind the scenes are resigned to playing Championship football next term.Spurs and De Zerbi have Premier League safety in the palm of their hands, but one small mistake from any of the players and it could be the most disappointing end to the campaign.
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