There is something of the addict in the way his teams play, the frantic intensity providing bursts of extreme energy and comedowns to match. It is thrilling, frustrating, and, as has been noted, pretty neatly aligned with the recent history of Tottenham Hotspur.
De Zerbi embodies their ‘to dare is to do’ motto.
He also embodies the kind of collapses and public meltdowns that are becoming hallmarks of the Spursy way.
It is with that understanding we should analyse what has been a very impressive streak of three consecutive Premier League victories for Tottenham, who are playing with a tactical complexity and a fire in the belly we haven’t seen since the early days of Ange Postecoglou, when a brand new system took the division by surprise.
De Zerbi is not a one-tricky pony and is vastly more experienced at this level than his last-but-one predecessor. Nevertheless a similar caution should be applied given what Tottenham are prone to and what has happened, so consistently, through De Zerbi’s career.
His first and only full season at Brighton began with five wins from six in the Premier League, then none in six. Later, a run of two defeats in 12, then, one win in the final ten.
At Marseille, his first and only full season saw runs of five, seven, and five league games undefeated at various points, but also a run of five defeats in seven that almost derailed the campaign in the spring.
So prepare for a fall, then, or rather get used to the wild oscillations we’ve already seen in 2026/27, a season that began with four goalless Premier League matches but has already swung back the other way.
Indeed, De Zerbi is a manager who brings constant contradictions; a muddle that seems already to have infected the club in a variety of ways.
Spurs have looked very clearly like a De Zerbi team and have the statistical outlay to show for it (top of the charts for pressed sequences, with 134, and PPDA, with 8.4), but mostly their intense high-pressing football is only visible in 20-minutes bursts.
There are impressive combinations happening in central midfield and the attack ought to improve now that James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski have returned, yet they have scored only ten goals and seven of those were either set-pieces or shots from outside the box.
They tactically outclassed Chelsea by swarming central midfield but were then overwhelmed in exactly the same zone by Aston Villa. There is balance in the squad for the first time in years, yet there is no escaping it was a dreadful summer of business with players prone to flakiness signed for well above market value.
It’s a dizzying set of competing ideas, not unlike De Zerbi himself, a man more chaotic – in tactics and personality – than Tottenham are used to. The upshot is not to go overboard when Spurs put these winning streaks together and, crucially, not to panic when results shoot back the other way.
This remains a transitional year for Spurs who after successive 17th-place finishes must be satisfied with a mid-table placement come May, as long as it is paired with a renewed sense of purpose and tactical direction.
From what we’ve seen so far De Zerbi will definitely offer that much. Whether the supporters will accept such inconsistent form - and the damp squib of a league campaign that comes with it - is up for debate.
After years of turmoil, they could be forgiven if they do not have the patience for yet another 12 months of madness.
Safer gambling
We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.
If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.
Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.