Mathys Tel has come under major criticism after a poor start to the season. The fans and the head coach have been frustrated with his ineffective displays in attack.

Roberto De Zerbi had an animated argument with the French talent following the 0-0 draw against Everton at home earlier in the season, with the Spurs boss unhappy with the forward for not following his instructions after coming off the bench. The Italian then left Mathys Tel out of his matchday squad for the 3-2 home loss to Aston Villa before the September international break, which must have hampered his confidence levels.

The Tottenham tactician handed the 21-year-old a start against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge last weekend, and he repaid his gaffer’s faith with a strong performance. It was arguably Tel’s best performance in a Tottenham shirt since he arrived at the club in 2025. The versatile attacker scored the winner against Chelsea with a brilliant solo effort, and he was also named in Troy Deeney’s BBC Team of the Week.

Roberto De Zerbi heaps praise on Mathys Tel ahead of Crystal Palace game

De Zerbi was delighted with Tel’s performance in the 2-0 win over Chelsea, as Tottenham managed to end their Stamford Bridge hoodoo. The Italian said last week that “he believes more in him than the youngster does in himself.”

Ahead of Crystal Palace’s visit to N17, the Spurs boss revealed how “proud” he is of Tel’s development. The 47-year-old also said that the 21-year-old is a “smart guy with big potential”.

“I’m proud and happy, but first of all for him, because I love working for the players, to improve the players,” De Zerbi said in his press conference (h/t Football London).

“I lost in my career many chances to become a better player. A focus of my job is to work on the improvement of the players. Mathys is working very hard. He’s a smart guy with big potential. I am here to help my players.”

Tel will look to make an impression against Crystal Palace

Spurs take on Crystal Palace on Saturday, looking to make it three Premier League wins on the bounce. The Eagles have been in inconsistent form since Pierre Sage took over from Oliver Glasner in the summer and find themselves 17th in the table with just two wins all season.

It is perhaps the best time for Tottenham to host Palace, and buoyed by his display at Stamford Bridge, Tel will be raring to continue his upturn in form here. The France Under-21 international was a thorn in the Chelsea side and sealed the deal with an incredible solo goal.

With Tottenham’s strikers struggling to find the back of the net, the 21-year-old could prove to be a valuable source of goals for us.