De Zerbi's Spurs Struggle to Score Despite £320m Spend — SkimNews
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- Tottenham Hotspur have failed to score in their first four Premier League games, joining Coventry City as the only teams yet to register a goal this season.
- Roberto de Zerbi is implementing a possession-based system that encourages play through congested central areas, relying on vertical transitions when opponents press — a philosophy he previously succeeded with at Marseille.
- Archie Gray, starting at right-back despite being a midfielder, has rotated roles with Sandro Tonali to better suit De Zerbi’s demands for players who can operate in tight spaces during build-up play.
- James Maddison returned from shoulder injury in the Carabao Cup match against Liverpool, offering De Zerbi a player more naturally suited to receiving passes between the lines and progressing attacks.
- Pedro Porro’s anticipated return could boost Spurs’ chance creation, as his tendency to cut inside and deliver crosses aligns with De Zerbi’s preference for inverted full-backs and wide attackers making diagonal runs.
- Omar Marmoush has made strong attacking runs behind defenses, but teammates have frequently failed to execute the final pass, highlighting a breakdown in timing and decision-making rather than movement.
Why it matters: Spurs invested £320m in attacking reinforcements but are failing to convert promising build-up into goals, suggesting the bottleneck is not talent but tactical integration. The delay in executing De Zerbi’s system risks early-season points and could pressure the manager before the team fully adapts.
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