Fans headed for the exits as Aston Villa moved 3-0 ahead through Johan Manzambi in first-half stoppage time, then second-half strikes from Nicolas Jackson and Emiliano Buendía.
Conor Gallagher and Jan Paul van Hecke scored late to end Spurs’ four-game goal drought, but the defeat stretched their winless Premier League run to five matches. They have now won only three of their 25 league games at home, none of them in three attempts this season, and supporters fear another relegation battle after last season’s narrow escape.
“We played well in the first half, we didn’t score, but [we were] too fragile.
“If you didn’t score, it’s my responsibility. I take my responsibility. We are going to work harder. Football is like life, either you are stronger or you lose.
“Today I was very disappointed, very sad, very frustrated for the performance.
“Because we can’t lose this game, in this way, absolutely. We can’t concede the second goal. We can’t lose balance, just because in the first half we are losing.”
De Zerbi again pointed to the players’ poor “physical condition”, an explanation he has used several times during the bad start.
With a three-week international break ahead, he will not see many of his squad. He said that might help.
“Maybe it’s better. I didn’t speak with the players today because I didn’t want to say anything.
“I have nothing with them, but the players who go with the national team, they have to play and they have to work, and the other players — [James] Maddison, Gallagher, [Dominic] Solanke, Tosin [Adarabioyo], [Marcos] Senesi, Savio — for sure, we have to work more because also the physical condition, I didn’t like even this game.”