Pedro Porro Ready for Villa Clash as De Zerbi Embraces Attack
Pedro Porro will be back on the pitch and straight into the spotlight this weekend as Tottenham chase their first Premier League goal of the season against Aston Villa.
The Spanish full-back, described as having a recent “muscular issue”, sat out Spurs’ last two matches but is now ready to return. Roberto de Zerbi delivered the update in the aftermath of Tuesday night’s 3-1 Carabao Cup third-round defeat at Liverpool, and the timing could hardly be more important.
Spurs are goalless in the league. The wait is starting to grate. De Zerbi, though, is doubling down on belief rather than backing away from his principles.
“I believe in my players, I have a big confidence, a big opinion of my players,” he said, insisting that once his side “find the click” and finally win, they will “enjoy with these players”.
For him, the solution is not to retreat. It is to add even more firepower.
Kudus returns to the front line
One major reason for that optimism is the sight of Mohammed Kudus back from a long, draining spell on the sidelines. The Ghanaian made his first Tottenham start since suffering a serious quad injury in January, thrown back into the intensity of Anfield on Tuesday night.
De Zerbi’s eyes light up when Kudus’ name comes up. Not just because he is fit again, but because of the tactical doors he opens.
“Kudus is another (who is) great news for us, because he can play also as a number 10,” De Zerbi said. “We can play with Savio, Kudus, (Dominic) Solanke and (Omar) Marmoush.”
That is not a cautious manager speaking. That is a coach happy to load the pitch with attackers and dare opponents to live with it.
Eight attackers, one philosophy
De Zerbi went even further when asked about the shape of his squad. With the right mix of midfielders and adventurous full-backs, he believes Spurs can effectively line up with “eight attackers”.
It is an audacious idea for a team still searching for its first league goal, but it captures the essence of his approach. Control the ball, overload the final third, keep asking questions. Porro’s return only strengthens that outlook, with the Spaniard offering width, delivery and an extra runner from deep.
The challenge now is to turn theory into goals. Villa will not arrive in north London to admire the blueprint.
Maddison the “special” piece – once he’s ready
There is also a more delicate project unfolding in the background: the careful reintroduction of James Maddison.
The England international has not started a match since May 2025 after a cruciate ligament tear, and his comeback has been complicated further by a shoulder fracture. This season he has been restricted to three substitute appearances, each one a small step rather than a full return to centre stage.
“Maddison is for sure a different player, a special player,” De Zerbi said. The admiration is clear, but so is the warning. “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.”
De Zerbi will not compromise on intensity, not even for his most gifted creator. Maddison must meet the physical demands before he can become the fulcrum of this attacking experiment.
So Spurs head into Saturday lunchtime with Porro back, Kudus emerging, Maddison edging closer and a manager openly talking about fielding eight forwards. Still no league goal, but no hint of abandoning the attacking creed.
If this is the week everything finally “clicks”, it will not be by accident. It will be by design.
