Tottenham Hotspur welcomed Charlton Athletic to their stadium for a Carabao Cup second-round tie, with manager Roberto De Zerbi seeking a swift response to a chastening Premier League defeat. Spurs had gone down 3-0 away at Brentford in their league opener over the weekend, a result that left the Italian coach far from satisfied with his side's performance.
De Zerbi named a much-changed line-up for the cup clash, with Micky van de Ven and Pedro Porro both named among the substitutes as they continue working back to full sharpness. Dominic Solanke was passed fit and available, while the manager confirmed that Mohammed Kudus was not yet ready to feature and James Maddison was nursing a minor shoulder issue.
The headline team news centred on Savio, the versatile Brazilian winger who arrived from Manchester City earlier in the week and was included among the substitutes, putting him in line for a first appearance in Tottenham colours. The move was part of a summer of substantial spending at the club, which has now surpassed £300million in outlay. Savio's arrival was also notable given the reverse transaction involved: Tottenham's Savinho completed an £85million switch to Manchester City, a deal that made him one of the Etihad club's record sales, eclipsing the £82million paid for Julian Alvarez by Atletico Madrid two years earlier.
Speaking after his move to north London, Savio expressed enthusiasm about linking up with his new club. "It took me a while, but I'm here," he said. "I'm very happy. I think everyone in my family knows that when Tottenham looked for me, I always wanted to be here. Now I'm here, I'm very happy, my family is happy, that's what matters. I just have to thank God for this wonderful opportunity."
The winger also spoke of his ambitions with the club, praising its facilities and coaching staff. "Tottenham has everything. They have one of the best managers in the world. They have the best training ground in the world," he said. "They have the best stadium in the world... I want to reach the top with this club structure, in training, stadium and with one of the best coaches in the world, I think we can reach the top. With my colleagues too, we can compete for the Premier League, reach the Champions League."
De Zerbi, who has worked with the player before at Brighton, offered high praise ahead of the game. "In terms of one-to-one, he's one of the best players," the Tottenham boss said. "He can play in the right side, in the left side. I know him from a long time... He's a big player for us, a big signing."
For the visitors, Charlton arrived in good form having won their opening two Championship fixtures against Derby and West Ham, following a 3-1 victory over Cheltenham in the first round of this competition. Manager Nathan Jones was relishing the challenge of facing a top-flight opponent. "It is a wonderful test," he said. "We have to be right near our best and do both sides of the game very well."
Jones also touched on his club's transfer business, highlighting the retention of key players such as Tyreece Campbell. "I am delighted," he said. "This window has been significantly important... we needed to improve in it, alongside that it was really important that we kept the players that were exposed and nearing the end of their contract. We have Lloyd Jones down, and we have TC down and hopefully we will be able to unleash a bit more good news as well."
Tottenham lined up with Kinsky in goal behind a back line of Gray, van Hecke, Davies and Udogie, with Fernandes and Bentancur in midfield, and Tel, Bergvall, Moore and Solanke completing the attacking line-up. Charlton fielded Brooks in goal, with Sichenje, Koumetio, Mesik and Asiimwe in defence, Knibbs, Ouma, Apter and Docherty in midfield, and Alli and Mbick leading the line.
Historically, the two sides have met 55 times, with Tottenham winning 29 and Charlton 16, while 10 matches have ended level. Their most recent meeting came in the FA Cup in January 2011, when Spurs won 3-0 courtesy of a Jermain Defoe brace and a goal from Andros Townsend.
Based on reporting from The Independent, The Guardian, and The Standard.