The back three; the marauding wing-backs; the strike partners working in tandem… An Antonio Conte team is easy to identify. But how will it all come together for the former Chelsea boss at Tottenham? We take a look at what to expect.
United had conceded nine goals in their previous two Premier League games, allowing their opponents a combined total of 19 shots on target. But at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the change of formation brought a first clean sheet since August.
The inclusion of three centre-backs in Raphael Varane, Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof provided added security. David de Gea, so busy in their defeats to Leicester and Liverpool, was not even tested once.
The tactical adjustment gave Manchester United a platform to build on and following the appointment of Conte on Monday, Spurs will now be hoping to see something similar.
Conte is, after all, one of the system’s most successful advocates.
His Chelsea side’s title triumph in 2016/17 was built on a back three of Cesar Azpilicueta, David Luiz and Gary Cahill. His successes with Juventus, the Italian national team and more recently with Inter Milan were achieved using the same approach.