Roberto De Zerbi arrived at Tottenham Hotspur in March with one immediate priority: keep the club in the Premier League. That mission complete, he has spent the summer reshaping the squad in his own image — with both the finances and the time to do it properly.

De Zerbi's tactical identity

When De Zerbi first took charge at Brighton in September 2022, his methods turned heads across English football. Pep Guardiola described him as "one of the most influential managers in the last 20 years," and rival coaches soon began borrowing from his playbook.

The centrepiece of his philosophy is build-up play. Centre-backs stand composed on the ball, deliberately inviting pressure before combining with holding midfielders through sharp, one-touch exchanges. From those patient passages of possession deep in their own half, his teams can transition at speed into one-on-one situations in the final third — a trademark that remains central to his approach.

Adapting to opponents who have done their homework

Because De Zerbi's ideas have been widely studied, opponents now arrive with specific plans to shut down the central passing lanes his sides rely on. In pre-season, Spurs encountered this repeatedly: defensive blocks set up narrow, crowding the middle of the pitch and forcing the ball wide.

Against Hoffenheim in a 3-0 pre-season victory, the Germans defended in a tight 4-4-2 mid-block, with wide midfielders tucked so far inside they resembled extra central midfielders. Spurs operated in a 4-2-4 shape in possession, shifting the ball between centre-backs to move Hoffenheim side to side.

Rather than taking the straightforward pass out to the full-backs — who were positioned wide and free — De Zerbi used them as decoys. Their runs dragged opposition wide midfielders away from central positions, opening passing lanes for centre-backs to find forwards dropping deep. Those forwards then played quick layoffs into the wide players, who drove at defenders in one-on-one situations before cutting back for the centre-forwards to convert.

Handling deep defensive blocks

Getafe presented a different challenge, sitting in a 5-4-1 shape. Spurs' response was to have one of the central midfielders — Lucas Bergvall in several instances — drop deeper, forming a back three with the centre-backs. This created a dilemma for the nearest opposition midfielder: follow Bergvall and surrender space centrally, or hold position and give him time on the ball.

Spurs punished both choices in pre-season. Against Hoffenheim, Sandro Tonali drifted into one of those deeper wide positions, used his power to beat his man over a large distance, and helped create the opening goal against a disorganised defence.

Transfers that make tactical sense

The summer recruitment reinforces this blueprint with precision. The centre-backs brought in are technically assured and capable of playing progressive passes through congested midfields. Central midfielders such as Mateus Fernandes and Bergvall can receive and recycle the ball under pressure in tight spaces.

Tonali, Conor Gallagher, and Destiny Udogie add driving, ball-carrying ability from wider areas when central routes are blocked. Links to Cody Gakpo and the arrival of Savinho provide the dribbling pace needed to threaten defenders in one-on-one situations. Up front, Richarlison and Omar Marmoush bring the physical presence and finishing quality to convert the crosses those attacks generate.

Whether opponents find consistent answers to these patterns as the season unfolds remains to be seen. What is already clear, however, is that for perhaps the first time in some years, there is genuine coherence between Tottenham Hotspur's coach, their tactics, and the players recruited to execute them.