How does De Zerbi fix Spurs' scoring troubles?

Since the beginning of the Premier League season, Tottenham Hotspur and Coventry City are the only teams without a goal. Despite having a significant investment in attacking players, the Spurs struggle to score. Roberto de Zerbi, the Italian manager, has implemented tactics aimed at addressing this issue. De Zerbi's approach involves enticing opponents to apply pressure, often by slowing down play and passing the ball backwards.

When this happens, Spurs react by speeding up their play, seeking to exploit the spaces behind the pressing players through direct passes or powerful long balls.

De Zerbi's forwards have been in more open spaces with fewer defenders on several occasions this season. The team's formation in possession often resembles a 2-3-2-3, with a holding midfielder, typically Rodrigo Bentancur, guarding the midfield in front of two central defenders. The trio remains mostly static, but there is rotation between the wingers, full-backs, and central midfielders.

These positional rules are complemented by principles that De Zerbi gives his players to follow, which have been successful during his tenure at Marseille from 2024 to 2026, where they averaged 2.3 goals per game.

One such principle involves encouraging his players to play centrally. When Tottenham's center-backs have possession, opposing midfielders and forwards tend to push up, creating space for the attacking midfielders between the lines. This central play also draws the defending team in-field, opening up space in the wide areas for the direct wingers to exploit.

However, for this to work, players must be able to receive the ball under pressure and execute passes effectively. Sandro Tonali, known for thriving in big spaces facing forwards, has been rotated with Archie Gray, who usually starts as a right-back, demonstrating the manager's flexibility in player positioning. The return of James Maddison, who has recovered from a shoulder injury, could further benefit De Zerbi's tactic by providing a player more suited to these spaces.