Tottenham's £340m angels can only win ugly – and that's an expensive problem

De Zerbi's Spurs have improved defensively but remain blunt in attack, with clinical finishing and sustained build-up play still major weaknesses despite recent wins.

Tottenham's 1-0 defeat at Leeds exposed persistent flaws in their attacking play, despite Roberto De Zerbi's efforts to instil a more aggressive identity. While the team controls possession and plays attractive football in the first two-thirds of the pitch, they struggle to create clear-cut chances and finish clinically. Spurs managed just seven shots against Leeds and have scored only two goals from centre-back Jan Paul van Hecke this season, with forwards Mathys Tel, Mohammed Kudus and Omar Marmoush lacking conviction in the final third.

The article questions the substance of Spurs' recent three-game winning streak. Victories over Coventry City, Chelsea and Crystal Palace came via individual brilliance, set pieces or opponent errors rather than sustained attacking play. The pattern suggests a deeper structural issue: this Tottenham team cannot sustain possession-based attacks and instead relies on moments of individual quality or defensive lapses from opponents. This has been a recurring problem across multiple managers with different philosophies, pointing to a club-wide issue rather than a De Zerbi-specific concern.