Are the real Tottenham Hotspur about to burst into life or was their midweek Carabao Cup blitz merely a flash in the pan?
Whilst no Premier League side is likely to get too carried away with a comfortable victory over lower league opponents in the cup, for Spurs their midweek mauling of Charlton Athletic could well prove to be the springboard for their season to properly start.
After all, their league opener away at Brentford last Saturday evening was as depressing a start as they could have hoped for.
Despite lavishing hundreds of millions of pounds in the transfer market, Spurs looked no better than the team that finished 17th in the table for the second consecutive campaign during that 3-0 capitulation at the Gtech. They were ripped apart by a Bees team that had their number. Roberto de Zerbi’s new-look side did at least atone for that performance, in part, on Wednesday night when they dismantled the Addicks 5-1 to seal progress into the third round of the League Cup.
New signing Savio got on the scoresheet and there were other impressive showings but that, of course, has to be caveated with the fact they were up against Championship opposition. The real acid test for Spurs comes at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday teatime when Newcastle United visit for an intriguing clash.
Regarding team news, James Maddison could miss out against the Magpies with his manager stating he has “just pain in his left shoulder. He’s working, but I don’t know if he’s available for tomorrow.”
Elsewhere, Mohammed Kudus could be available for selection for Spurs.
As for Newcastle, they have started brightly under their new manager Matthias Jaissle. They were unlucky not to hold on for the win in their opener against Liverpool last weekend, conceding a stoppage time penalty. They then recorded a hard-fought 3-2 Carabao Cup win over West Brom on Wednesday and will be looking to take the fight to Spurs – a team they are unbeaten against in the last six meetings between the two sides.
Much has been made of Newcastle’s change in personnel over the summer with Jaissle replacing Eddie Howe in the dugout and a clutch of familiar faces moved on for big money and replaced by largely unknown but prospective signings.
Some of those have already caught the eye, even at this early stage of the season. Nico Gonzalez was unveiled as a Newcastle player in midweek, prior to that win over the Baggies and he could debut at Spurs.
Ahead of Saturday’s game, Jaissle has been talking up his new signing: “He trained with us and he looks sharp. He is an option. It will take time and I cannot tell you how long it takes but he is a smart player with huge potential and already has so much quality. He will adapt fast into our system and our way of playing.”
As for the challenge of playing against de Zerbi’s side, the German says he won’t change his tactical approach – despite the uncertainty of how the hosts could line-up.
“It’s difficult, especially when the opposition are signing a lot of players,” he added. “There are many things that can change them which makes the preparation a little bit more tricky but we must be honest. We are facing a top team who will fight for the top places in the table but it will be a good challenge. I will not change my approach.”
