Why is Roberto De Zerbi Trending in India? Tottenham's Carabao Cup Exit Explained

The name de zerbi has seen a significant spike in search interest across India, with Google Trends recording approximately 5,000 searches and a 200% growth in a 24-hour window around September 16, 2026. This surge is driven by the struggles of Italian manager Roberto De Zerbi at Tottenham Hotspur, following a high-profile defeat to Liverpool in the Carabao Cup.

Tottenham's Shock Exit from Carabao Cup

On September 15, 2026, Liverpool defeated Tottenham 3-1 at Anfield in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup. The match was decided by goals from Alexis Mac Allister (21'), Cody Gakpo (54'), and a spectacular late winner from Dominik Szoboszlai in the first minute of second-half stoppage time [1].

While Conor Gallagher managed to score for the Spurs in the 69th minute, the loss marked De Zerbi's first cup exit with the club and deepened a growing crisis for the North London side [2].

A Nightmare Start to the 2026-27 Season

The interest from Indian football fans stems not just from a single cup loss, but from Tottenham's dismal start to the Premier League season. Under De Zerbi, the team has struggled significantly with goal-scoring and securing points:

• League Form: After four Premier League fixtures, Tottenham has collected only two points.
• Goal Drought: The team had not scored a single goal in their first four league matches prior to the cup game.
• Cup Breakthrough: Interestingly, the goal by Conor Gallagher against Liverpool was the team's first goal of the season, arriving after 429 minutes of play [3].

De Zerbi's Response and Outlook

Despite the results, the Italian manager remains optimistic about the long-term project. Following the Anfield defeat, De Zerbi admitted to feeling "frustrated" and "disappointed," apologizing to the fans for the elimination. However, he maintained his faith in the squad's quality, stating that the players simply need to "shoot more and shoot better" [3].

Tottenham's next opportunity to break their winless streak comes in a clash against Aston Villa, a team that has also struggled early in the season, collecting only one point from four games.