Welcome to The DeBrief, a Sky Sports column in which Adam Bate uses a mix of data and opinion to think about some of the most important stories from the latest Premier League matches. This week:
Tottenham's defense tactically exposed 
Gundogan finding his shape in Man City
Malen make his point at Aston Villa
“It's not the way the players do it on purpose,” said Ange Postecoglou after the 4-2 defeat to Wolves. “I would probably be more frustrated if it was something we did from a tactical or organizational perspective, but they are individual mistakes.”
Some mistakes from Tottenham in Molineux were inexplicable. The uncertainty of Guglielmo Vicario was almost comical. Cristian Romero seemed to run past the ball for the third goal of Wolves. Lucas Bergvall surrendered it too easily to Matheus Cunha for the fourth.
According to Opta, it is the two second half errors that have been recorded as mistakes that lead to goals – the first time in exactly one year that many made in a Premier League match. But rejecting this like a purely aberration would be a bit friendly in Postecoglou.
His team looked wide open, completely unable to treat everything from Wolves, because the home team saved any knockdowns. Every Tottenham defender seemed insulated, the holes too large, spaces at the rear and front. It was a mess.
Postecoglou's opposite song Vitor Pereira knows him well. The couple went against each other for the first time in the Asian Champions League and won won with their respective teams when Postecoglou was in Japan and was in China in China. The latter had a plan for him.
Pereira asked about this in the press conference after that, whether he himself considered the many mistakes of Tottenham as only individual mistakes or moments that were forced by his team, he gave an enlightening answer. “Football is strategic,” he explained.
“If we feel that the block is higher because they want to press us – and I know that they would like to press the pass – the spaces at the back, they were there. It means that at that time a long ball, and then are ready for the second ball. That is what we have done in training, to prepare the team at the moment.
“Then, when you come across a team that touches a long ball and wins the second ball once and creates problems and problems, causing problems three times and creating problems, the line will be afraid next time to admit a lot of space on the back.
“It means that we have started a few spaces between the lines. We have made these spaces between the lines and when we make these spaces between the lines, we can play.
“But rather it was difficult. It was difficult because they are a strong team.”
Spurs is perhaps a strong side, but the point is that this is not an accident. The data data from the expected Goers shows that only the bottom three give up more opportunities. They are the only team in the bottom six that admits less than the statistics say they should have done.
With three first-choice defenders on the couch at Wolves, there was some mitigation. The Focus of Postecoglou is on Thursday on Eintracht Frankfurt. But these defensive vulnerabilities have been a characteristic of their season. The research will only continue.
Gundogan Find Form again
Pep Guardiola was asked after the 5-2 victory of Manchester City on Crystal Palace or James McATee could be one to fill the enormous void left by Kevin De Bruyne. The Stadsbaas did not want to put such great pressure on a person.
But perhaps it is the second arrival of another veteran city legend that could help to relieve the loss of De Bruyne. It was a pleasure to be there to witness the performance of the great Belgian, but there were also hints that Ilkay Gundogan found its shape again.
De Bruyne made things happen, but Gundogan, who played in the left channel, was the ideal foil. He completed 68 of his 70 passes, his accuracy of 97.1 percent the best of every outfield starter on the field. Guardiola enjoyed what he had seen from him for a while.
“The Gundo from Leicester, the Gundo from Bournemouth, today's Gundo, is the Gundo I remember when we won the Treble and the four -fold,” said Guardiola. “His pace, his defensive intelligence, how he arrives. Now it is huge from him.”
Gundogan was talking about the team when he recently said that he had seen “a certain change” – an improvement in the attitude of the city, which showed more aggression without the ball. Guardiola agrees with that assessment and thinks the Gundogan is now also helping.
“As a team we couldn't help him,” he explained, “because it was not about you, you or you. Everyone was down, was under, because the team did not play well. When the team plays well, individuals rises. Without the football that you can't do.”
Prior to Christmas, City won only one of the 11 games that Gundogan started. Since Christmas they have only lost once in his 13 starts – and that defeat was gone for Real Madrid. Perhaps reports on the fall of the German international were greatly exaggerated.
He turns 35 in October, but is expected to stay next season, his contract extension has started. With a few successful dribbles against Palace, the old ball skills that can also be seen, there is perhaps a role to play for this specific city.
Malen's great impact of Bench for Villa
Speaking with Donyell Malen shortly after he registered for Aston Villa, he explained his plans. “I'm just looking forward to being here, improving and playing in the Premier League,” he told Sky Sports. “What I have to do is score goals and be important for the team.”
Malen does exactly that. His goal against Southampton on Saturday was his third in three consecutive games in the competition and remarkably comparable to his first strike against Brighton. That too was a vicious effort on the corner low in the far corner.
Unbelievable, the Dutchman has the best success rate in the Premier League this season, which is on average a goal per 90 minutes to date. Not a big coincidence given that he also had most shots on the goal every 90 minutes. Small sample size. Great impact.
Of course there will be a big match against Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday evening for which times is not available. His disappointment about not registered for the Champions League must have been enormous, but he responds in the right way.
Malen's long -term future at Villa looks bright. He is the replacement of Moussa Diaby that they needed in the summer, an upgrade on Leon Bailey on that right wing. Unai Emery has changed Morgan Rogers there, but has to be tempted to trust with more minutes.
For now he is Villa's Finisher from the bank – exactly what was needed after losing Jhon Duran in the winter window. With more goals than start, grinding quickly becomes a favorite with fans. He delivers that ambition to score goals and to be important for his team.
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