De Zerbi faces task of turning Spurs' chance creation into Premier League goals
Four games into the season, Tottenham Hotspur remain goalless in the Premier League while all of Roberto De Zerbi's side's goals so far this campaign have come in the Carabao Cup.
Tottenham have invested £320m in new players, largely attacking reinforcements, yet the team and Coventry City are the only Premier League sides without a goal after four matches. De Zerbi, who left Brighton in 2024 and managed Marseille from 2024 to 2026, has adapted his familiar tactical principles to the change in environment; Marseille averaged 2.3 goals per game under him.
De Zerbi's approach seeks to invite pressure by slowing play and passing backwards, then suddenly accelerate to exploit the space left by pressing opponents through direct passes or powerful carrying. He articulated the idea in a 2020 coaching seminar: "The stronger the pressure of the opponent, the more vertical [our] action becomes. [The fewer opponents behind], the easier it becomes to go and score." That reactive acceleration is visible at Spurs when forwards receive larger pockets of space.
In possession Spurs frequently form what looks like a 2-3-2-3, with Rodrigo Bentancur typically anchoring a trio ahead of the two centre-backs while wingers, full-backs and central midfielders rotate. Players are instructed to swap zones to preserve the team's overall shape as gaps open and close; examples include Sandro Tonali occupying a left-back type position while Andy Robertson is high on the left and Omar Marmoush inverts into an advanced midfield slot.
Translating those positional patterns into goals requires precise receiving under pressure and coordinated movement ahead of the ball. Against Everton, Spurs progressed from their holding midfielder and drew opponents out of position — Mateus Fernandes' central positioning pulled defenders and left Savio free on the wing — but the subsequent pass and finish options did not always materialise. Recognising positional suitability, De Zerbi has rotated Sandro Tonali with Archie Gray, who has operated at right-back despite it not being his natural role, and James Maddison returned from a shoulder injury for the Carabao Cup tie at Liverpool, producing a short cameo in which he took the ball facing his own goal under pressure and then "played a clever through-ball for Marmoush running in behind."
Spurs have often arrived quickly behind opposition midfield lines after being pressed, yet converting those situations into goals has faltered for three reasons: identifying the best pass, coordinated off-the-ball runs, and the quality of the pass itself. In Tuesday's game with Liverpool, Spurs had the opportunity to play long into three runners against two defenders but a player chose to play backwards instead; Marmoush's attacking runs have generally been well-timed but the passes to meet them have been inconsistent. Pedro Porro, who adopted a more central role for Spain this summer as they won the World Cup, could help supply more of the vertical passes suited to De Zerbi's system as he regains full match rhythm.
Comparisons with De Zerbi's Marseille highlight where Spurs are close but not yet complete: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang rounded the keeper to score from a direct attack in the Champions League against Newcastle, and Igor Paixao's strike in Marseille's 2-2 draw with Toulouse exemplified well-timed diagonal runs met by vertical passing. At Spurs, Mathys Tel's wider starting angle sometimes prevents him getting in behind defenders, Destiny Udogie produced a pacey left-sided arrival and a dangerous cross that was not converted from six yards, and Savio's tendency as a left-footed right-winger can complicate cutbacks compared with the right-sided deliveries Marseille's attackers and full-back produced to Aubameyang.
Many of Tottenham's attacking patterns are close to producing clearer chances, but the club's success will rest on refining small details across the pitch rather than wholesale tactical change. If those details are tightened, Spurs should create enough chances to score even if some opportunities are still missed.
