How Spurs strangled Villa for 45 minutes — De Zerbi's press, Bentancur unlocked & 0.00 xG | A Coach's View

Aston Villa, fifth in the league, didn't manage a single 0.00 of xG against us in the entire first half. Zero.

A Licensed Coach JJ joins me to break down exactly how this Spurs team strangled Aston Villa for 45 minutes at Villa Park, and what Roberto De Zerbi has actually changed in four games. We get into the press, why the team has been so deliberately slowed down, why Pedro Porro is staying rooted as a full-back for now, why Bentancur and Palhinha suddenly look like a working double pivot when they didn't under Frank, and the bit JJ wanted to jump up and down screaming "I told you so" about.

Plus the press-baiting concept properly explained — what it is, why it's hard to do at home, and why Villa were patient enough not to take the bait. PPDA, xGA, the metrics that matter and the ones that don't. The Buendía corner that Van de Ven won't enjoy watching back. And why the set-piece defending is a slower fix than the rest.

For the Oso 33 crew sticking to the end — JJ on a question we got asked: why do so many number 10s become great number 6s? JJ takes us through it from his own playing days. It's a lovely bit.

A Coach's View is the tactical strand from Oh So Spurs — Jim Goddard with A Licensed Coach JJ, dissecting what's actually happening on the pitch with Tottenham Hotspur week to week. Smarter than the angry-pundit register, but still fans, with the suffering and cautious belief that comes with it.

If you got something out of the episode, please follow the show, drop us a rating, and share it with a Spurs fan who'd appreciate the tactical layer.

And to the Oh-So-33 crew — keep it lily-white.
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