Roberto de Zerbi previously managed Brighton in the Premier League
Tottenhamboss Roberto de Zerbi says knowing rival fans are willing the club to be relegated from the Premier League is a "big motivation" to stay up.
Spurs are two points aboveWest Ham, who occupy the final relegation place,. have a vastly better goal difference (-9) than their London rivals (-22) having played a game fewer.
That means a point from either of their last two fixtures - atChelseaon Tuesday or againstEvertonatTottenham HotspurStadium on Sunday - will safeguard their top-flight status bar a set of freak results.
Chelseasupporters will be keen to pile misery on to Spurs when the sides meet at Stamford Bridge.
But De Zerbi said his players have to "enjoy this pressure", calling it a "good thing" for them to have.
"We have to find new motivation from this pressure. If everyone wantsTottenhamrelegated, it's a big motivation for me. I hope for my players as well," head coach De Zerbi told a news conference.
"We have to accept that football is nice because of the rivalry. It's good to imagine ourselves celebrating the win in their stadium. It's the reason football is like this, no?"
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The Italian insists the external pressure should serve as fuel rather than a distraction for his squad.
De Zerbi said: "It's a motivation, it's a challenge. If a challenge is tougher, it's better for us to find new motivation. to be focused on staying together from the beginning to the end of the game.
"The pride is amazing motivation. The pride. if everyone wantsTottenhamrelegated, I think for oneTottenhamplayer, oneTottenhamfan, all the people who work insideTottenham, it has to be the biggest motivation."
Even though Spurs only realistically need a point. De Zerbi has warned his players not to approach the game playing for a draw.
"We can't start the game thinking to draw," he said.
"We have to start the game. we prepare the game and we speak in the meeting to win the game.
"Everybody wants to stay up, everyone wants to achieve this goal and then we can speak about everything."
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