After Tottenham hired Roberto De Zerbi, most pundits focused on how long it would take for the Italian to implement his system. Some said he would bed in right away, while others said he might not have enough time to make an impact at Spurs this season.
Whatever the argument, most of these discussions concerned De Zerbi’s attacking tactics. After all, De Zerbi’s preferred slow build-up is very different from Igor Tudor’s ‘keep-it-simple’ mentality and a huge departure from the kind of direct football Thomas Frank tried to use earlier this season.
With all this being said, the loss to Sunderland made it clear that De Zerbi’s defensive set-up could see Tottenham relegated from the Premier League this season, not Spurs’ attack.
If you watched De Zerbi’s Brighton sides, you’ll know that they were very open at the back and vulnerable counterattacks. The Seagulls were a mid-table team for goals allowed in both the Italian’s years in charge, with 53 goals conceded in 2022/23 and 62 in 2023/24.
According to WhoScored, Brighton allowed the second most counter-attacking goals in the 2022/23 EPL season, with 8. The next year, De Zerbi’s last in charge of Brighton, the club conceded 7 counter-attacking goals — the most in the EPL that season.
Most of the counter-attacking chances against Brighton came down the flanks, where there was obviously space when the Seagulls were in possession. Against Sunderlnd, Tottenham’s attack didn’t look quite like prime Brighton under De Zerbi, but the defensive flaws were definitely there.
Brian Brobbey was constantly finding space to occupy away from Spurs’ defenders and the Black Cats had no trouble finding him with smart outlet passes to good areas up the pitch. If Sunderland can do it, there’s no doubt that other sides will do the same.
Ironically, Brighton might be the toughest test for Tottenham’s defense under De Zerbi. There aren’t many wingers in the EPL better in open space than Kaoru Mitoma and Yankuba Minteh. If Spurs do well to close them down, there may be hope for their season yet. If they don’t, it will be just more proof that De Zerbi was the wrong manager to hire in this moment.
