Tottenham Football Formation

Creation DateToday, August 17, 2026

Starting Lineup

Cody Gakpo (17) · Savinho (7) · James Maddison (10) · Sandro Tonali (16) · Matheus Fernandes (14) · Micky van de Ven (37) · Van Hecke (17) · Pedro Porro (23) · Senesi (4) · Richarlison (9) · Antonin Kinsky (1)

Tottenham play with a high press and verticality in a 4-3-3. This formation is built to win it back high up the pitch and move the ball quickly toward the opposition goal. The lineup looks to stretch the defence by using wide players to create space for the central attackers to exploit.

Antonin Kinsky acts as the last line of defence behind a high line. The back four consists of Senesi and Van Hecke as the two central defenders, with Senesi acting as a ball playing defender to start attacks. Micky van de Ven plays as the left back, using his recovery speed to cover space when the team pushes up, while Pedro Porro operates as an attacking full back on the right to provide width. The defensive unit works to squeeze the space and keep the team compact when the ball is lost.

The midfield functions with a three-man midfield containing a mix of roles. Sandro Tonali works to shield the defence and win the second ball, often dropping deep to collect from the centre-backs. Matheus Fernandes connects the defensive and attacking lines by carrying the ball forward into the middle third. James Maddison plays as an attacking ten behind the striker, looking to play through the lines and find the feet of the forwards. This group connects the back four to the front three by recycling possession or driving directly at the opposition.

In the attacking third, Tottenham use three attackers across the front. Richarlison leads the line as a pressing centre-forward, working to pin the last defender and harass the opposition back line. Cody Gakpo plays as an inverted winger on the left, looking to cut inside and create goalscoring chances, while Savinho stays wider on the right to stretch the play. This setup relies on combinations in the final third, often looking for runs in behind or cutbacks from the byline to create clear sights on goal.

A major strength of this Tottenham lineup is the ability to press high in coordinated waves, forcing mistakes from the opponent near their own goal. The team also gains an advantage through the speed of transition, using the pace of Micky van de Ven and the creative vision of James Maddison to strike quickly. By using wide players like Savinho and Cody Gakpo, the team creates wide overloads that pull the defensive block apart.

This 4-3-3 formation focuses on aggressive pressing and rapid forward movement. It is best suited for games against teams that struggle to play out from the back or those that leave large gaps between their midfield and defensive lines.