Tottenham Hotspur secured a commanding 5-1 victory over Charlton Athletic in their Carabao Cup second-round match at their new London stadium on Tuesday night. The win marked a welcome return to form following a difficult start to the season, including a 3-0 loss to Brentford on Saturday.
The home side took the lead through 19-year-old academy graduate Mikey Moore, who struck from the edge of the area with a powerful and precise shot. Dominic Solanke doubled the lead before the introduction of Tottenham’s £75 million summer signing, Sávio, for his debut. The Brazilian forward made an immediate impact, scoring within 11 minutes of coming on with a composed finish after cutting inside from the right flank.
Sávio added a further assist as his shot, deflected off teammate Ben Davies, found the net. Davies received credit for the goal and appeared unfazed by the fortuitous nature of the strike. Charlton managed a consolation goal late in the match when substitute Lloyd Jones headed in from a corner.
Charlton manager Nathan Jones described the match as “absolutely disastrous” and expressed frustration over having to play the game so soon after their recent victory against West Ham. He made extensive changes to his lineup, making 10 alterations from the side that secured that league win.
Spurs head coach Roberto De Zerbi praised Sávio’s debut performance and emphasized the forward’s goal-scoring potential, setting a target of 10 to 12 goals for him this season. De Zerbi also spoke optimistically about Tottenham’s upcoming Carabao Cup tie against Liverpool at Anfield, describing it as an important challenge for the club’s aspirations in the competition.
The match also saw the return of several players who were either benched or unavailable in the Brentford defeat, including Destiny Udogie, Rodrigo Bentancur, Mateus Fernandes, and Solanke. Several other recent signings, such as Pedro Porro and Micky van de Ven, appeared as substitutes. Key absentees included Marcos Senesi and Sandro Tonali, who are expected to be available for the Premier League fixture against Newcastle United on Saturday.
Tottenham controlled possession throughout, but their attacking threat took time to materialize. Charlton, meanwhile, had early chances, with Greg Docherty forcing a strong save from goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky and a headed effort from Nathan Asimwe narrowly missing the target.
Tottenham’s breakthrough came just before the half-hour mark when Moore capitalized on a defensive error to deliver a left-footed strike past Charlton goalkeeper Tiernan Brooks. The home side extended their lead soon after when hesitant defending in the Charlton penalty area allowed Solanke to finish clinically.
The result offered Spurs a significant morale boost as they look to build momentum in the cup competitions amid a challenging start to their domestic league campaign.