De Zerbi took over a Tottenham side struggling for form, confidence and with a series of key players out injured.
But he has already drilled into his side a set of principles that echo what he has done at previous jobs – albeit adapting them to the quality of his players.
Spurs play short from their keeper but are more willing to go long to a target man in Richarlison than De Zerbi’s Brighton were.
Given the impressive physicality of the Spurs squad, utilising a high press as a method of chance creation has been smart too.
Tudor looked to take a similar albeit less coordinated approach out of possession, but De Zerbi has built on that – not defending man-to-man across the pitch but instead asking his side to pick moments in which to win the ball back.
None of these tactics however are possible without a squad that believes in the message the coach is relaying.
In his news conferences so far, De Zerbi has been focused on one idea – that Spurs must believe in themselves, and shake off any negativity, if they are to be a Premier League side next season.
Their performance against Villa will have certainly helped.
