Tottenham Hotspur bounced back from their disappointing Premier League opener in emphatic fashion, beating Charlton Athletic 5-1 in the second round of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday.
The result sent Spurs into the third round, where they will face Liverpool in a heavyweight tie. The match will be played at Anfield, with Liverpool entering the competition at this stage.
The biggest talking point at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, however, was new signing Savio. The Brazilian came off the bench in the second half and needed only 11 minutes to score his first goal for the club. He also played a role in Tottenham's fifth goal as Spurs completed a comfortable victory.
Mikey Moore opened the scoring in the 41st minute before Dominic Solanke doubled Tottenham's advantage just before half-time. Kevin Danso added a third in the second half before Savio's low finish in the 82nd minute made it 4-0.
Ben Davies then scored Tottenham's fifth after Savio's effort was deflected into his path. Charlton eventually pulled one back through Lloyd Jones, but there was little doubt about the outcome.
For Savio, the cameo was an immediate response to the expectations surrounding his arrival. Tottenham completed his reported £85 million move from Manchester City only a day before the match, and he quickly made an impact in his first appearance for the club.
Manager Roberto De Zerbi was pleased with the debut but immediately set a higher target for the 22-year-old. The Tottenham boss wants Savio to develop his goalscoring output and challenge himself to reach double figures during the season.
The victory also provided the reaction De Zerbi had demanded after Tottenham's 3-0 defeat at Brentford in their Premier League opener. The manager said the team showed character and responded in the right way after the setback.
There were other encouraging signs for Spurs. Micky van de Ven and Pedro Porro returned to the pitch after injury concerns, while Danso scored with his first touch after coming on as a substitute.
The next challenge will be considerably tougher. Liverpool await in the third round, giving Savio and Tottenham an early opportunity to test their renewed confidence against one of English football's strongest sides.
For now, though, Tottenham have their first victory of the 2026-27 campaign — and their expensive new arrival has already given supporters a glimpse of what he can offer.
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