Tottenham Football Formation

Starting Lineup

VICARIO (Kinsky) · PORRO (Spence) · ROMERO (Vuskovic) · VAN DEN VEN (Danso) · UDOGIE (B.Davies) · BENTANCUR (Gray/Sarr) · BERGVALL (Kulusevski) · GIBBS-WHITE (Maddison) · KUDUS (Odobert) · B.JOHNSON (Tel) · SOLANKE (Son)

Tottenham seeks to control matches through a high press and rapid verticality in a 5-2-3. This lineup relies on winning the ball high up the pitch to catch the opposition out of position. The team uses this formation to create attacking overloads while maintaining enough numbers in the back to manage transitions.

Vicario stands between the posts to command the area and sweep behind a high line. The back five consists of Bentancur, Romero, and Van den Ven as the central trio. Romero is dominant in the air and provides physical presence, while Van den Ven uses his recovery speed to cover the space behind. Porro acts as an attacking wing back on the right to provide width, whereas Udogie plays as an attacking wing back on the left to push high. This defensive unit functions by squeezing the space and forcing a long ball.

The midfield operates as a double pivot consisting of Bergvall and Gibbs-White. Bergvall works to carry the ball forward and drive into the half spaces, while Gibbs-White connects the defensive and attacking lines. These two players must work hard to press in a mid-block and win the second ball when the front three fail to regain possession. They link the defense to the attack by recycling possession or playing through the lines to the forwards.

In the attacking third, Tottenham utilizes three attackers to stretch the defence. Solanke acts as a pressing centre-forward to pin the last defender and hold up the ball for others. Kudus plays as an inverted winger on the right to cut inside and create, while B.Johnson operates on the left to provide runs in behind. The team builds in combinations, often using the width from Porro and Udogie to create cutbacks from the byline or to isolate a one-on-one wide.

A major advantage for Tottenham is the ability to press high in coordinated waves with the front three and the midfield. The presence of Porro and Udogie allows for wide overloads that pull the opposition defense apart. Furthermore, the speed of Van den Ven and Romero allows the team to play a very high line without being constantly exposed to long balls.

This 5-2-3 formation is designed for a high intensity game where winning the ball high is the priority. It is best suited for matches against teams that struggle to play out from the back under heavy pressure.