Roberto De Zerbi will be searching for answers and a much-needed reaction from his Tottenham squad when Championship side Charlton Athletic visit the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the Carabao Cup this midweek, following a chastening Premier League opener against Brentford.
Spurs were outclassed by Keith Andrews' Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium on the opening weekend, leaving De Zerbi visibly rattled as his newly assembled squad struggled to find any rhythm. The Italian coach now has an early chance to address some of those issues, though Nathan Jones' Charlton side should not be underestimated despite the gulf in divisions.
The Addicks have made an excellent start to their own campaign, winning all three of their opening fixtures. That run includes a first-round Carabao Cup victory over Cheltenham and a stunning 2-1 win away at West Ham last weekend, results that suggest Charlton will travel to north London with genuine confidence rather than simply making up the numbers.
For Tottenham, the priority will be finding attacking spark that was sorely lacking against Brentford. Richarlison struggled to hold the ball up effectively and was directly involved in gifting possession that led to Brentford's second goal, while wide players Mathys Tel and Mikey Moore were kept quiet by the attacking full-back play of Michael Kayode and Keane Lewis-Potter.
Given those struggles, De Zerbi may look to hand an opportunity to 17-year-old academy prospect Luca Williams-Barnett, widely regarded as one of the most exciting young talents to emerge from Tottenham's youth setup. Williams-Barnett showed flashes of his ability during pre-season and could feature either out wide or through the middle as a No.10 in De Zerbi's preferred 4-2-3-1 shape.
At the back, 18-year-old Malachi Hardy is another academy graduate pushing for involvement after a strong pre-season that saw him feature in all three of Tottenham's matches during their tour Down Under. De Zerbi has already spoken highly of the young defender, saying after a 2-0 win over Auckland FC at Eden Park: "Malachi is another good player for the future of the club." With significant investment made in defensive reinforcements over the summer, regular first-team chances may be limited for Hardy, but a rotation of the centre-back pairing that struggled against Brentford, Marcos Senesi and Jan Paul van Hecke, could open the door for his senior debut.
Perhaps the most eagerly anticipated returnee is Mateus Fernandes, whose introduction from the bench was one of the few positives in an otherwise disappointing display against Brentford. Signed from West Ham for a club-record fee of £85million, Fernandes has been managing calf fatigue picked up during pre-season but appears ready to build towards a full debut. The 22-year-old's composed, incisive style looks tailor-made for De Zerbi's double pivot system, and pairing him consistently alongside Sandro Tonali is seen as key to unlocking Tottenham's midfield balance. Facing Charlton could provide the ideal platform for supporters to see more of the club's costly midfield partnership, valued at a combined £185million, in action together.
With momentum firmly behind Charlton after their impressive start and Tottenham desperate to steady the ship, De Zerbi's willingness to trust his emerging talents could prove decisive in setting the tone for Spurs' season.
Based on reporting from Standard Sport.