{
  "id": 8180416,
  "title": "How does De Zerbi fix Spurs' scoring troubles?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/how-does-de-zerbi-fix-spurs-scoring-troubles-8180416",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-18T05:16:11.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/does-zerbi-fix-spurs-scoring-051611639.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Tottenham Hotspur and Coventry City are the only teams who have yet to score in the Premier League this season. Roberto De Zerbi's side has brought in a large amount of attacking talent, but they are struggling to find the back of the net. De Zerbi's philosophy involves enticing opponents to apply pressure, then reacting by speeding up play to exploit spaces behind the press. This tactic has already led to successful build-up play in some instances. However, for Spurs to turn build-up play into goals, many elements need to come together. Currently, Spurs often set up in a 2-3-2-3 formation, with a holding midfielder, two central defenders, and rotating wingers, full-backs, and central midfielders. De Zerbi encourages his players to play centrally, which helps create space for attacking midfielders between the lines and draws the defending team into the center, opening up wide areas for wingers to attack. Gaining experience with playing in congested areas and central passes is crucial for the team's success. Additionally, the return of James Maddison, who is better suited to these spaces, could provide a significant boost to the team's attacking play.",
  "summary": "Roberto De Zerbi's Tottenham are yet to score a Premier League goal this season, how do they fix that?",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "BBC Sport",
        "title": "How does De Zerbi fix Spurs' scoring troubles?",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/how-does-de-zerbi-fix-spurs-scoring-troubles",
        "published": "2026-09-18T05:16:05.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}