Pedro Porro Returns to Boost Tottenham Against Aston Villa
Pedro Porro is set to hand Tottenham a badly needed boost when Aston Villa visit north London on Saturday, with Roberto De Zerbi insisting his misfiring side are close to finally sparking into life.
The Spaniard, who has missed Spurs’ last two matches with what the club described as a muscular issue, will be available for the lunchtime Premier League kick-off. De Zerbi delivered the update in the aftermath of Tuesday night’s 3-1 Carabao Cup third-round defeat at Liverpool, a result that deepened the sense of frustration around a team still waiting for their first league goal of the season.
They have the patterns, the territory, the possession. What they do not yet have is the “click” their manager keeps talking about.
“I believe in my players, I have a big confidence, a big opinion of my players,” De Zerbi said. “And when we arrive to find the click, to win a game, I think we enjoy with these players.”
The belief is anchored in the attacking talent he can now finally call upon.
Mohammed Kudus, back from a long-term quad injury suffered in January, made his first Tottenham start at Anfield and immediately changed the texture of De Zerbi’s frontline. The Ghanaian’s movement and willingness to drift into pockets offered a glimpse of what this attack might become once the rust wears off.
“Kudus is another great news for us, because he can play also as a number 10,” De Zerbi explained, outlining a more fluid, aggressive blueprint. “We can play with Savio, Kudus, (Dominic) Solanke and (Omar) Marmoush.”
That is four forwards before you even start counting the adventurous full-backs and attack-minded midfielders De Zerbi wants to unleash. He talks about “eight attackers” not as a throwaway line, but as a philosophy. Spurs, in his mind, should suffocate opponents with numbers, rotations and relentless pressure.
The idea becomes even more intriguing when you add James Maddison to the equation.
The England international has not started a game since May 2025 after a cruciate ligament tear, a brutal injury compounded by a shoulder fracture that further delayed his return. This season he has been eased back with three substitute appearances, each one a reminder of the creativity Tottenham have been missing between the lines.
“Maddison is for sure a different player, a special player,” De Zerbi said. “But he has to be fit, he has to be in the right physical condition, because the Premier League intensity, even tonight, is incredible. And then we can play with eight attackers.”
That is the vision: Porro raiding from deep, Kudus drifting inside, Maddison threading passes, Savio and Marmoush stretching the pitch, Solanke occupying centre-backs, and wave after wave of white shirts hunting that elusive first league goal.
For now, it remains theory. On Saturday, against an Aston Villa side that will not be shy about attacking themselves, Tottenham’s bold plan either starts to come alive or the questions grow louder.
