‘We didn't fight’ – Tottenham boss De Zerbi after losing to Brentford despite spending over £200 million

Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto De Zerbi has apologised to supporters after admitting his players were “out-fought” during a crushing 3-0 defeat to Brentford in their opening Premier League match of the season.

Despite a summer spending spree exceeding £200 million, Spurs produced a disappointing display that left De Zerbi apologising to fans and admitting his team failed to compete physically from the opening whistle.

The defeat equalled Tottenham's heaviest opening-day loss in the Premier League era.

De Zerbi did not attempt to hide his disappointment after the final whistle, admitting Brentford deserved their victory because Tottenham failed to match their intensity.

“We suffered physically, but we knew that before the game. We were not ready to fight the duels,” De Zerbi said.

The former Brighton manager acknowledged his side struggled to press effectively and repeatedly lost crucial battles across the pitch.

He added, “We made a lot of mistakes in the timing of the pressure with Mikey Moore. Especially in the first half, we were not in the right position to make the right pressure.

“If you analyse the game, you can see how many duels we lost in the first half when the game went in Brentford's direction. We didn't play well. We didn't fight in the right way.”

De Zerbi handed debuts to several of Tottenham's new arrivals, including Sandro Tonali, Andrew Robertson, Marcos Senesi and Jan Paul van Hecke, while Mateus Fernandes also featured from the bench.

However, the influx of new talent failed to prevent another difficult afternoon for Spurs. The manager believes the squad still needs time to develop chemistry.

He added, “With a lot of new players, we knew we needed soul and style of play to become a team. Today I think there was the soul but we didn't fight in the right way.”

Despite the crushing defeat, De Zerbi insisted he remains fully committed to the project.

The Italian apologised to Tottenham supporters but urged patience as the team continues adapting to his methods.

He added, “I am sorry for the defeat. I know we have to improve in our physical condition and the organisation. There were many new players, but it was the first game. It's part of our journey.”