De Zerbi’s Spurs Control Games Without Hurting Opponents

Roberto De Zerbi came to Tottenham with a clear idea of what he wanted to do in football. His side are expected to be in control of the ball, develop their attack slowly and control matches through the ball.

But after four games of Premier League football, Tottenham's possession has yielded little of what ultimately wins football matches: goals.

Spurs are 17th with two points and have not scored in their first four league games, the first time in their history that they have failed to score in their opening four league games.

The issue is thus more than just a slow start.

Tottenham are starting to look like a side that can dominate the area, but not the action, of the game. 

Spurs Have the Ball, But Not Enough Threat

Tottenham were in control of the game against Everton and had 37 touches in the opposition box but failed to create any opportunities that resulted in an xG of 0.64 from 14 shots. Just two attempts were on target, while the quality of their opportunities remained underwhelming.

It was the same problem during the trip to Nottingham Forest, when Spurs had no shots on target.

Even the defeat at Liverpool offered little comfort. Despite having more chances to convert (2.34 xG) than Liverpool (1.53 xG) and holding possession and shots, Tottenham were unable to find enough attacking opportunities to overcome their rivals and went out 3-1 down.

It is fast becoming the biggest problem at De Zerbi's Tottenham.

They are able to pass the ball, occupy advanced positions, and can knock and retain the ball in the opposition half for a good amount of time.

However, too many times the possession is simply surrendered without the goalkeeper having to make a difficult save, or the opportunity is not really a threat to the opposition. 

The Midfield Is Missing the Final Pass

James Maddison has been relatively underutilised and, as a result, Tottenham have lost one of their most natural sources of creativity, while Rodrigo Bentancur, Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes and Lucas Bergvall have been largely responsible for keeping the ball moving.

They are helpful, but not sufficient.

A team that is based on possession must have players who can convert possession into penetration. You have to have a moment where the midfielder is able to break the shape, move the ball past a man, and get it to the other side of the field or create a situation where the defenders have to go back.

Those moments aren't coming in regularly for Tottenham.

The result of movement with the ball like this is a midfield that looks busy but not threatening. The ball is moving back and forth, opponents have time to reset, and the attacking line slowly becomes redundant.

De Zerbi frustrated from the sideline

Tottenham’s Summer Signings Have Created Another Question

Also, there's a bigger question of balance in the lineup.

Tottenham poured money into their attacking game; they targeted the likes of Mathys Tel, Omar Marmoush, Mudryk and Sávio, which provided De Zerbi with greater options in the final third.

However, adding more players to the attack doesn't fix a creativity issue.

When the midfield can't be relied upon to deliver them in an attacking position with defence-breaking passes or ball carries, the forwards are left waiting for service with too much pressure in front of them.

This seems to be the case at Tottenham.

It's not that they don't have attacking talent. It's the link between midfield and attack.

The most telling number is Spurs' non-penalty xG per shot, which stands at 0.066. These show how remarkably low Tottenham attackers' attempts are, and this is because of the low supply and creativity from the midfield.

That is a red flag for a team that's all about domination.

The Attack Has to Become the First Line of Defence

High-possession football always has some risks to the defence. Once a team has numbers up and the ball goes out of play, the opposition will be able to take advantage of the space left behind at some point.

So, is Tottenham being conservative the solution? I don't think so.

When you watch Tottenham play, you will see that the defence has basically defended itself. The consistent central duo has been Micky van de Ven and Jan Paul van Hecke, while Andy Robertson and Destiny Udogie have been good choices at full-back. Pedro Porro has been off form lately, and the current defenders have already provided two clean sheets in four league games.

So, what of the lapses that lead to goals? Well, it's football. Goals are bound to happen, and it does not mean that they are the main issue for Tottenham.

Tottenham has to make their attack their first line of defence. When Spurs can create better opportunities and convert them, it puts more pressure on the opposition to defend and think less about the counter-attack. Goals also alter the psychology of a game.

It is a different ball game when opponents know that every mistake they make can be punished, rather than knowing they can simply wait for you to return to headless possession with little to show for it in the final third.