Roberto De Zerbi has singled out Micky van de Ven, Sandro Tonali and Mohammed Kudus after Tottenham’s 1-0 defeat to Leeds, admitting that none of the three key players produced the level he expects from them.

Asked about the performance after the game, the Spurs head coach made a pointed comparison with what he has seen from the players previously, to the club’s official website.

“Today, I didn’t see the same Micky van der Ven, the same Sandro Tonali, the same Kudus.”

It was a brief but telling assessment from De Zerbi, who clearly felt the trio fell short of their usual standards in a disappointing afternoon for Tottenham.

Van de Ven has been an important presence for Spurs, while Kudus is one of the side’s attacking outlets. Tonali was also included in the manager’s assessment, making it clear that De Zerbi was looking for more from all three.

The comment does not necessarily amount to a major public dressing-down, but it does underline the head coach’s expectation that his key players deliver consistently — particularly in difficult away fixtures.

Tottenham will need a response in their next outing, and De Zerbi will be hoping to see the versions of Van de Ven, Tonali and Kudus he knows they can be.

Spurs struggled to impose themselves against a physical team, with the reasons why Tottenham lost against Leeds covered previously.

Tottenham are back in Premier League action with a home clash against Ipswich Town after the international break.