Moore and Solanke Break the Deadlock Late in the First Half
Spurs needed a response after that humbling 3-0 opener at Brentford, and they got one. De Zerbi named a strong side despite this being a cup tie — Solanke, Bentancur, Udogie all starting, plus Mateus Fernandes making his first start since the £85m move from West Ham. Charlton, down to ten men in terms of fit defenders after losing Sichenje and Koumetio to injury in the first half, held firm for a long stretch and kept it goalless deep into the half.
Breakthrough came in the 41st minute. Moore cut inside from the right, left-footed strike, in off the crossbar. First Tottenham goal for the academy graduate, and a proper one at that. Four minutes later, Solanke turned inside the box and finished right-footed after Charlton fumbled a corner. 2-0 at the break, game basically under control already.
Danso Heads in a Third, Then Savio Steals the Show
Spurs didn’t ease off after the break, and De Zerbi’s changes worked almost instantly. Danso came on, took about ten seconds to matter — met a Fernandes free-kick with a flicked header on his very first touch, 3-0, 67th minute.
Real story of the night, though, was one man. New £85m signing Savio, straight off completing his move from Man City, came on in the 71st for his full debut. Took him eleven minutes. Cut inside from the right after a couple of really nice runs, drilled it low into the bottom corner — 4-0, 82nd minute, and the South Stand lost it, already had a new song for him by full time. Wasn’t done either — three minutes later, twisted inside the box, let one go, deflected off Ben Davies and in. Goal went to Davies on paper, but everyone knew whose night it was. Charlton got a consolation in the 88th through a sub, didn’t change much at that point.
What It Means Next
Good, much-needed feel-good night for De Zerbi’s side after Brentford. Savio involved in two of the five goals on his full debut — Spurs fans are already dreaming about what he looks like once he’s fully up to speed. On to round three of the Carabao Cup now, Liverpool up next. For Charlton, who’d come in with two wins already this season, tough night against top-flight opposition, made worse by losing two defenders inside the first quarter hour.
Match Summary
Tottenham Hotspur 5-1 Charlton Athletic Carabao Cup, Second Round — Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, England Wednesday, 26 August 2026
Goals: 41′ Mikey Moore (Tottenham) 1-0 45′ Dominic Solanke (Tottenham) 2-0 67′ Kevin Danso (Tottenham) 3-0 (assist: Mateus Fernandes) 82′ Savio (Tottenham) 4-0 85′ Ben Davies (Tottenham) 5-0 (deflected off Savio’s effort) 88′ Charlton Athletic 5-1
Result: Tottenham cruise into the third round of the Carabao Cup with a 5-1 win, where they’ll face Liverpool next.
For live Carabao Cup scores and match coverage, visit fawanews. Full results and bracket at the official Carabao Cup website.
