The missing piece that Roberto De Zerbi must slot into place after Tottenham's puzzling start

De Zerbi faces a tactical puzzle after Spurs' disappointing loss at Leeds, with Marmoush and Savio combining for just one Premier League goal despite costing Manchester City £145m.

Tottenham arrived at Leeds on the back of three consecutive wins but departed disappointed, with manager Roberto De Zerbi lamenting his side's lack of character, personality and courage in the second half.

The core issue centres on Spurs' attacking formula. While their defensive and midfield signings have shown promise, the forward line has underperformed. Marmoush and Savio, acquired as attacking reinforcements, have managed just one goal and no assists in the Premier League between them. Marmoush has gone three matches without a goal, while Savio has not played for four weeks. Only three of Spurs' 10 league goals have come from forwards: Dominic Solanke's injury-time equaliser at Old Trafford, Marmoush's strike against Coventry, and Mathys Tel's solo effort at Chelsea.

De Zerbi must also contend with an ever-changing cast list. Tel was taken off before half-time at Leeds with what the manager fears is a serious injury. The tactical setup remains unsettled, with questions over whether the system will consistently feature a specialist No 10, and uncertainty about how to best deploy the club's £185m midfield double act of Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes alongside a more defensive midfielder.