The result marked a significant improvement for Spurs following a difficult opening to their Premier League campaign. They failed to win any of their first five league matches but have since collected seven points from their last three.
An own goal from Chelsea goalkeeper Mike Penders and a solo finish from Mathys Tel secured Tottenham’s first win at Stamford Bridge since 2018. It was also their most convincing result of the season so far, offering encouragement that De Zerbi’s ideas are taking hold.
Van Hecke, who was pursued by Tottenham during the summer under De Zerbi’s guidance, has a strong relationship with the manager. The Italian has previously described the Dutch defender as being “like my son”, and Van Hecke made clear that the affection is mutual.
“I think he is loved,” Van Hecke said of how his team-mates feel about De Zerbi. “I love him as well! He is a top manager, we are all really happy.
“I know his ideas and how we wants to play, what he wants from me.
“In the first games we did this as well, but [on Saturday] we get better because it needs time, but we did great.”
The defender believes Tottenham’s early results did not fully reflect their performances. Spurs had often produced promising spells of football without converting their opportunities, leaving them short of the points their displays might have merited.
Van Hecke said: “The results were not what we wanted. We played some really good football in the first games of the season, but the results didn’t come.
“It all went well [against Chelsea], I think you could see our quality.”
The victory was particularly meaningful given Tottenham’s long wait for a league win at Stamford Bridge. The club had endured a succession of disappointing visits to west London, and Van Hecke acknowledged that the players knew about the record.
He said the history had provided extra motivation, while the support from the travelling fans helped lift the team during the match.
“(We didn’t think about it) too much, but of course we knew. You see it everywhere. It gave us extra motivation.
“For the fans it is a great day. They were loud and proud and we felt it on the pitch. It makes you give a little more.
“Everyone is buzzing, fully deserved, we worked really hard so we are really happy.”
For De Zerbi, the performance offered evidence that the squad is adapting to his expectations after a testing start. Tottenham still have work to do to establish consistency, but the win at Chelsea gives them a platform to build on.
Van Hecke’s comments suggest the players are increasingly comfortable with the manager’s demands. The next challenge will be turning that progress into sustained results rather than allowing one impressive derby victory to stand alone.