{
  "id": 7733591,
  "title": "Spurs in ‘tough moment’ after League Cup exit as De Zerbi says sorry",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/spurs-in-tough-moment-after-league-cup-exit-as-de-zerbi-says-sorry-7733591",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-16T07:13:10.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Citizen",
    "slug": "the-citizen",
    "url": "https://www.citizen.co.za/sport/soccer/world-soccer/spurs-in-tough-moment-after-league-cup-exit-as-de-zerbi-says-sorry/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Tottenham Hotspur finds itself in a challenging situation following their League Cup elimination following a 3-1 defeat to Liverpool on Tuesday. The club, which has been struggling in the Premier League, was soundly defeated at the rain-soaked Anfield. Liverpool dominated the match, scoring all three goals with Alexis Mac Allister, Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai netting. Tottenham's lone goal came from Conor Gallagher late in the match, but it was not enough to secure a victory.\n\nRoberto De Zerbi, the newly appointed manager of Tottenham, admitted that the club is going through a tough moment. He apologized for the loss, stating that the team is disappointed and frustrated with the result. De Zerbi believes that Tottenham has been unlucky this season, citing several recent matches where they were unable to secure a win against top-tier opponents.\n\nDespite a disappointing start to the Premier League campaign, Tottenham spent over £300 million on ten new signings since the end of last term. De Zerbi made eight changes to the lineup from the previous match against Everton, but the gamble proved costly as they were defeated by an under-strength Liverpool side. The manager, however, remains confident in his players' abilities and believes that they are on the right path.\n\nDe Zerbi acknowledged that there are areas for improvement, particularly in their performance during the match. He admitted that they did not recognize the clear situation in the first half, which led to their downfall. Despite the tough moment, De Zerbi urged the team to bounce back at home against Aston Villa on Saturday and to find the winning click in their upcoming matches.",
  "summary": "Tottenham's only win this season has come in the League Cup against second-tier Charlton.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "IOL",
        "title": "Spurs in 'tough moment' after League Cup exit as De Zerbi says sorry",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/spurs-in-tough-moment-after-league-cup-exit-as-de-zerbi-says-sorry",
        "published": "2026-09-16T04:05:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}