Tottenham started against Coventry in a back three, a change from the back four they used at Man Utd on 10 October, and it still produced a 3-1 win at home on Monday night. All times in this piece are UK time.
Role Player Goalkeeper Kinsky Back three Tosin Adarabioyo (central), van Hecke, van de Ven Wing-backs Robertson (left), Kudus (right), per Hotspur HQ Midfield Gray, Tonali, Maddison Attack Marmoush, Solanke Substitutes used 69′ Davies for Robertson; 69′ Gallagher for Maddison; 71′ Fernandes for Tosin; 87′ Kulusevski for Kudus; 87′ Tel for Marmoush
Reports don’t agree on the label: the data site YSScores lists it as a 3-4-2-1. Hotspur HQ’s player ratings put Kudus at right wing-back, Gray and Tonali in central midfield and Maddison in the number 10 role. Yahoo called it a hybrid back three, with Tosin in the middle and van Hecke pushed wide left. Goal had van Hecke starting nominally on the right. That’s why the diagram flags the back three’s sides as unconfirmed. Substitution minutes above are Hotspur HQ’s; Goal confirms Fernandes replacing Tosin on 71 minutes.
Why De Zerbi changed it
The answer came after the game. “We played three at the back because of injured players in the midfield positions,” De Zerbi said, according to Dan Bennett’s report for Hayters. “I thought three at the back was the best solution to defend the counter-attack and have more control of the game.”
The same report says Gallagher only returned from injury two days before the game, Bergvall was injured and Fernandes had trained for two days after becoming a father. Bergvall and Gallagher both started at Old Trafford, so the midfield De Zerbi had then wasn’t the one he had on Monday. Hotspur HQ described the line-up as one that “absolutely nobody foreshadowed”.
With and without the ball
Spurs had 65% of the ball and 16 shots to Coventry’s 12, with five on target to one, according to VAVEL’s full-time stats. Goal said the fluid formation confused Coventry early on, with Marmoush dropping deep to link play. Maddison opened the scoring early in the first half.
Without it, the aim was to defend the counter-attack, as De Zerbi put it. It held until just after half-time, when Coventry scored.
What went right and wrong
Right: control, Maddison back in the starting XI, and Marmoush restoring the lead on 58 minutes. Wrong: the equaliser itself. Jack Rudoni equalised with a close-range finish on 49 minutes.
The shape didn’t last either. Robertson and Tosin both went off around the 70th minute, and Goal reported that Gray moved to right-back once the defensive injuries hit, with Fernandes on for Tosin and Davies on for Robertson, so the back three as it started was gone for the last 20 minutes. Davies sealed the win on 90+6.
Will it stay for Chelsea?
Chelsea away is on Saturday 24 October, kick-off 17:30 UK time. Robertson, Tosin and Marmoush all left the pitch hurt on Monday, and when we last checked there was no club update on how serious any of it is.
Our view: it goes back to a back four. De Zerbi’s own reason for the three was a midfield shortage, and Gallagher and Fernandes both got minutes on Monday. With Robertson and Tosin both hurt, a back four asks less of the squad. We’d keep Maddison in it whatever the system. Call it a lean, not a certainty.
For more, see our Spurs player ratings, the earlier team news and our Man Utd formation piece.
Should De Zerbi keep the back three at Chelsea on Saturday? Post your Spurs XI below.
FAQ
What formation did Tottenham play against Coventry?
A back three. YSScores lists it as a 3-4-2-1, while Hotspur HQ’s positions read as wing-backs, two central midfielders, Maddison in a number 10 role and two forwards.
What formation does De Zerbi usually play?
We can only source the last game before this one: at Man Utd on 10 October Spurs started with a back four and three in midfield (Kinsky; Gray, van Hecke, Senesi, Udogie; Tonali, Bergvall, Gallagher; Kudus, Savio, Solanke), which we read as a 4-3-3. That was a 1-1 draw.
Why did Tottenham play a back three against Coventry?
De Zerbi said he went to three at the back “because of injured players in the midfield positions”, with Bergvall injured, Gallagher only just back and Fernandes short of training. Gray moved to right-back in the second half after Robertson and Tosin went off, Goal reported.
Featured photo: “Tottenham Hotspur Stadium March 2019 – view from east” by Hzh, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.