How new-look Spurs are shaping up under De Zerbi

Roberto de Zerbi's first task on arriving at Tottenham in March was to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

With that mission accomplished, he has had time and money over the summer to start creating a new-look Spurs to aim higher.

When De Zerbi first arrived in the Premier League at Brighton in September 2022, he introduced new tactical concepts that were admired by some of the league's best.

At the time, Pep Guardiola called him "one of the most influential managers in the last 20 years".

De Zerbi's ideas were copied - and he was primarily influential around how he coached build-up play.

The sight of the centre-backs standing tall, studs on the ball, waiting for the opposition forwards to become impatient before closing them down felt unnatural but it was purposeful.

This pressure was the cue for ball-playing centre-backs to combine with nearby holding midfielders, using slick one-touch passing combinations before punching daring passes to their forwards.

The speed at which a De Zerbi side could, and still can, turn slow meticulous possession in their own half into one-against-one situations for the attackers is a hallmark of his approach.