Former Tottenham goalkeeper Brad Friedel believes Spurs can push for the European places following the Lilywhites’ recent upturn in form.

It has been a rollercoaster of a season so far for Tottenham Hotspur, who endured a horrid start to their 2026/27 campaign, going their first four matches without a win or a goal.

That difficult spell left Spurs in the Premier League’s bottom three, a run that cast doubt over Roberto De Zerbi and whether he was fit to be Tottenham boss.

However, the tide has since turned in Spurs’ favour following a run of three consecutive Premier League victories, including wins against Coventry City, Chelsea and Crystal Palace.

Tottenham were unbeaten in October, picking up 10 points from a possible 12, a run that has since seen them climb to ninth in the Premier League table.

Brad Friedel backs Tottenham to push for Europe

De Zerbi’s future is no longer in question, at least for now, with the Italian even nominated for October’s Manager of the Month award.

The hope is that the winning run continues and that Spurs finish as high up the Premier League table as possible. A push for Europe now also looks realistic, with Spurs just three points behind fifth-placed Liverpool, and former Tottenham goalkeeper Brad Friedel believes it is something that can be achieved.

Speaking to Grosvenor Sport, Friedel was asked whether it is realistic for Spurs to secure a European place this season, or at least challenge for one. He said: “They definitely could. But if they don’t, I wouldn’t consider it a failure.

“De Zerbi had a lot to do with changing the entire complexion of the club inside. So I think commanding performances and a solid finish are more important than getting on his back if they don’t finish in Europe.

“Which we’re seeing now. Then, by the way, if he keeps winning games, I mean, if you win six on the bounce, let’s say, you’re going to be right up there in the European places for sure.

“So yes, it can happen, but I still think they need some more goals in their team.”

Friedel on Spurs’ feel-good factor and Kinský’s comeback

The former goalkeeper also spoke about De Zerbi and whether the Italian has now earned some trust following the latest turn in results.

Friedel did not give a direct answer, but revealed that fans are in a much better place, admitting that the feel-good factor is back at N17.

He added: “Well, again, I think for the first time in a couple of years, the fans are going to start going to games again expecting the team to win.

“That’s when I was at Spurs, for the four years I was there. Every game that we played, stepped on the field, the fans expected us to win.

“And we usually gave a performance that warranted a win. Whether we won or not, it’s a different story, but we were in big games all the time.

“And right now, I think the Tottenham supporters are in a much happier place, and they’re going to go to the next match thinking that they will and should win. Which, rewind six months, that was not the case.”

Friedel has also been impressed by goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky, who has played a big part in Spurs’ success this season.

The 23-year-old has already kept four clean sheets, including one against Chelsea. In fact, he has yet to concede a goal in his last 180 minutes.

Friedel is impressed by how Kinský has bounced back from his 17-minute moment of madness against Atletico Madrid earlier this year.

Speaking about the shot-stopper, he said: “You never know what a goalkeeper’s made of until they make a mistake and come back from it. And in his case, not only did he make a mistake, but then he got dragged after 17 minutes, which is really unheard of.

“That game, if you look back and look at the goals, the three goals that went in, two were not his fault. And the one that you could say is his fault, he actually slipped.

“And you go through the Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, you go through all the highlights every weekend, a goalkeeper makes a mistake. So, to drag him off after 17 minutes wasn’t the correct thing to do.

“So, for him to then have Vicario get injured, and then him to come in and have to be one of the main guys for the end of the season, I was really, as a former goalkeeper, I was really happy for the kid. I really was.

“I thought he was one of the top three performers that Tottenham had from the end of the season to help them stave off relegation. And I think he’s been probably the most consistent player for Tottenham at the beginning of this season.

“And at 23 years of age, you have a goalkeeper for a long, long time as he continues to get games under his belt. So yes, I am a fan of Kinsky. I’m really happy for him.

“And at 22, 23 years of age, to go through what he went through on the big stage and then to be able to come out of it really positively shows that he has a lot of character inside.”