Sport | Football
Three things we learned from Tottenham win as Roberto De Zerbi's vision starts taking shape
Things are looking up in north London after a challenging start to the Premier League season
Sam Tabuteauat the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
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Tottenham produced a morale-boosting 5-1 victory at home to Charlton to seal their place in the Carabao Cup third round.
Spurs needed an encouraging performance in the wake of their defeat to Brentford at the weekend, and while they were made to wait, two goals on the stroke of half-time gave them a convincing lead at the break.
In a first-half dearly lacking quality, Mikey Moore provided the moment of magic Spurs needed to get their season up and running as he rifled a left-footed effort through the gloves of Tiernan Brooks in the Charlton goal.
Dominic Solanke then swivelled and scored after the ball broke to him inside the area to put Spurs 2-0 up on the stroke of half-time.
Spurs ran riot in the second-half with goals from Ben Davies, Savio and Ben Davies before Lloyd Jones pulled one back late on.
Savio steals the show on dominant evening
Spurs took the game away from Charlton in the second-half thanks in large part to a sensational cameo from Savio.
Signed and registered in time to take his place on the bench just over 24 hours after arriving in north London, Savio announced himself in style to the Spurs faithful.
A wonderful low left-footed strike, jinking his way past a couple of challenges on the edge of the box, put Spurs 4-0 up, and he thought he had grabbed his second of the night minutes later.
Bright start: Savio enjoyed a near-perfect Tottenham debut
Getty
He was unlucky to see his shot, which came after he had hurdled his way through a crowded penalty area, deflect into the back of the net off Ben Davies.
Ultimately, though, this was a dream night for the Brazilian and one he will hope to replicate many times in a Spurs shirt.
De Zerbi had said he wanted Savio to add more goals to his game. On the evidence of tonight, that will be no problem.
Mateus Fernandes impresses on full debut
One of the few positives from Spurs’ defeat to Brentford was Mateus Fernandes’ cameo off the bench.
The Portuguese brought a semblance of calm to an otherwise chaotic performance and, having shaken off concerns over his calf, De Zerbi handed him his full debut against Charlton.
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Starting as the most advanced of the three midfielders, there were moments of real class from the 22-year-old as he routinely took the ball under pressure and turned into space.
Gem: Mateus Fernandes is well on his way to justifying his price tag
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Fernandes is still getting familiar with his surroundings and building his fitness, but this was a positive performance, which he capped by delivering a deft free-kick for Danso to head home.
How De Zerbi pieces together Spurs’ midfield over the course of the season will be interesting, but Fernandes looks to have the versatility and composure to impact the game from deep and between the lines.
A confidence-boosting first competitive outing for the former West Ham man, which he will hope to take into the weekend as attention turns to Newcastle and getting points on the board in the Premier League.
Morale on the up after convincing victory
After a performance devoid of any positives against Brentford, Spurs needed a reaction to change the mood around the club.
De Zerbi rotated but still named a strong starting lineup. Mateus Fernandes was handed a full debut, while Destiny Udogie, Dominic Solanke, Rodrigo Bentancur and Ben Davies all made their first starts of the season.
Charlton, meanwhile, made 10 changes from the team that beat West Ham at the London Stadium.
Thumbs up: Roberto De Zerbi will be hugely encouraged by his side’s progress this week
PA
The onus was on Spurs to produce a convincing performance, and while they struggled for periods of the first-half, they found the goals they needed before the break.
Two moments of real quality put Spurs in a comfortable position at half-time as Moore rifled a left-footed effort through the gloves of Charlton goalkeeper Tiernan Brooks, before Solanke swivelled and scored minutes later.
It had been anything but routine for Spurs up to that point, though, and Charlton had begun to grow in confidence as captain Greg Docherty stung the palms of Antonin Kinsky.
Charlton had been competitive, but Spurs ran riot after the break, with Savio stealing the show as he climbed off the bench to score his first goal in a Spurs shirt before his shot deflected off Ben Davies as the hosts scored a fifth late on.
A comfortable result and performance in the end for Spurs, and plenty of encouragement to take into the weekend.
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