Roberto De Zerbi subtly showed the first sign of what doomed him before Tottenham

Hotspur HQ writer Joe Soriano argues that Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto De Zerbi is displaying signs of hubris following a 1-0 away defeat to Leeds United. Soriano contends that De Zerbi overthought his tactical setup by adopting an overly defensive approach and making questionable lineup choices, comparing the manager's recent decisions to past issues that negatively impacted his tenure at Marseille.

The piece criticizes De Zerbi for starting Pedro Porro over Archie Gray at right back and mismanaging the midfield alignment alongside Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali. Soriano also claims De Zerbi's favoritism led to Dominic Solanke remaining in the lineup over Richarlison, arguing that emotional decision-making and ego could undermine Tottenham's campaign.