Wednesday’s contest against Charlton was thankfully as close to the Championship as Tottenham Hotspur will get this season. A 5-1 home win over a lower-tier side does not really prove much, but does at least stop the bleeding temporarily from the opening weekend and allows frustrations to simmer down, even if just a little bit. The biggest thing the club needs right now is time, which supporters might offer for a bit, though not indefinitely.
And that is totally fair! After two disastrous seasons, and whatever that was at Brentford, patience is limited. However, there are arguably six different incoming transfers who should (and will?) be part of Tottenham’s best XI this year, and getting everyone up to speed takes time. Maybe Savio will not stop scoring, and maybe Mateus Fernandes is the long-awaited central midfield solution, but some of the other arrivals look a little off pace.
Expecting everything to come together against Newcastle United is tough. Despite three fairly prominent exits, including Sandro Tonali, and a chaotic draw against Liverpool on Sunday, this is not exactly Spurs’ favorite opponent. I have no clue how many of the new signings will start, or how many more will come off the bench, but this match feels like it could go in literally any direction.
Match Details
Date: Saturday, August 29
Time: 12:30 pm ET, 5:30 pm UK
Location: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London
TV: NBC/Peacock (US), Sky Sports Main Event (UK)
Tottenham has not recorded a win in this fixture since a 4-1 victory in December 2023 (following that 6-1 embarrassment the spring prior). That was followed by three straight losses in the league and a League Cup Round of 16 defeat last fall. Spurs did salvage a draw at St James’ Park last December after two late Cristian Romero equalizers, but a lone Archie Gray goal was not enough in the 2-1 loss at home this past February.
Optimistically seizing the future
Fernandes and Tonali will be improvements in midfield, but there is no denying the desperate need Tottenham has had in attack. After over a year of flirting, Savio is finally here, and his cameo on Wednesday is not going to slow down the hype. Meanwhile, his former City teammate might not be ready for a full 90, but Omar Marmoush is also going to be a difference maker for Roberto De Zerbi.
This is what can make Spurs a legitimate side. Shoring up goal prevention is certainly a need as well, but even when the back six has been functioning correctly, there has been a ceiling to this side because of its lack of scoring. Injuries have been no help across the front four, but if we are being honest, there has also been a huge need for talent.
Could a first Premier League start with Tottenham for Savio and 30-45 minutes from Marmoush really make that much of a difference? We shall see! Obviously, these moves were made with a very long time horizon in mind, but why not start the good times now — one can only imagine how the stadium would react if one or both of these newcomers finds the back of the net in a win. Newcastle has conceded twice in each of its first two matches, so the window is open.
Pessimistically fearing the patterns
De Zerbi is committed to embracing opposition press and weaving the ball through quick, successive passes, but his squad did not seem aware of that last weekend. Brentford did not allow the visitors to ever get comfortable, and that blueprint is unfortunately exploitable by Newcastle as well. The build-up is always going to be foundational for this team, and it will have to prove its ability to weather all situations.
Not being able to generate opportunities going forward is one thing — and the 0.57 xG against the Bees was not ideal — but getting completely outworked and overrun is the worry that will not go away. Conceding 3.87 xGA was baffling, even with a brand new centerback pairing, and there are enough quality Newcastle attackers to punish the gifts Spurs refuse to stop giving.
Matthias Jaissle will have his players make the middle of the pitch chaotic, and that is the risk of running out a bunch of new signings all at once. It might still be worth it for De Zerbi to give his best players the opportunities to make it work, but there are plenty of ways this goes wrong. Tonali’s Tottenham debut left much to be desired, and how he fares against his former teammates could end up being the difference.
Realistically seeing the big picture
On paper, the variance in the outcomes of this one seems off the charts. The ingredients for a disaster are there for Tottenham: a nemesis, a match at home, an aggressive press, an unfamiliar lineup, the need to erase last weekend…the list goes on. Positive vibes coming out of the Charlton win are no better than the visitors’ own after a successful League Cup tie as well, with a takedown of West Brom on Wednesday.
Still, this is exactly what Spurs are set up for. De Zerbi has his tactics, and if they cannot succeed in matches like this, then what good are they? Tottenham has given the manager a dramatically overhauled side — willing to spend at unprecedented levels, foregoing a youth-heavy approach and instead finding Premier League-proven players who can deliver right now.
Well guess what, the now is here. It might not mean Matchweek 2, but it absolutely cannot take until Boxing Day for everything to click. Patience is still very necessary, and the list of injuries is a constant reminder of what is still missing, but the club made its intentions abundantly clear over the summer, and there must be a payoff at some point. Baby steps might be ok, as long as we can start to see some progress.
