Tottenham needed barely twenty minutes of their new £85 million winger to see what all the fuss was about. Savio, signed from Manchester City two days earlier in a deal that broke the champions' sale record, came off the bench and inside eleven minutes had scored one goal and made another as Spurs brushed aside Charlton Athletic 5-1 in the Carabao Cup second round at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The scoreline was settled long before the Brazilian even entered the pitch. Mikey Moore put the hosts ahead in the 41st minute, and Dominic Solanke doubled the lead right on the stroke of half-time. Kevin Danso, more often deployed at centre-back, added a third with a header just after the hour mark to put the tie beyond doubt against a Charlton side playing three divisions below.
Savio, still widely known by his former nickname Savinho from his two seasons at Manchester City, was introduced in the 71st minute. He needed only until the 82nd to open his account with a low, precise finish, then turned provider three minutes later, teeing up Ben Davies for a fifth. Lloyd Jones' header in the 87th minute was no more than a consolation for the visitors.
The fee itself tells its own story about the size of the statement Tottenham are making. Spurs paid an initial £75 million with a further £10 million in add-ons, eclipsing the £82 million Manchester City banked for Julian Álvarez from Atlético Madrid in 2024 as the club's record outgoing transfer. Savio joined City from French side Troyes for £30.8 million in 2024 after an impressive loan spell at Girona, but managed only two Premier League goals across two seasons at the Etihad before the move to north London.
Former Liverpool midfielder Jamie Redknapp, working as a pundit on the broadcast, said the debutant "lit the place up" with his ability to cut inside off the right and pick his finish, while Solanke predicted his new teammate would quickly become "a fan favourite" at the club.
Tottenham's reward is a trip to Anfield in the third round, a daunting draw against Liverpool that will offer an early measure of how Thomas Frank's squad, freshly strengthened by their most expensive signing, copes with the Premier League champions.
Elsewhere on a night of second-round cup football, Newcastle United needed a second-half brace from substitute Harvey Barnes to see off a stubborn West Bromwich Albion 3-2 at St James' Park. West Brom debutant Isaac Price gave the Championship side a shock lead with a clever free-kick in the 19th minute, only for fellow debutant Bazoumana Toure to level for Newcastle just before half-time after a scramble in the box.
Price restored West Brom's lead from the penalty spot in the 77th minute after Lewis Hall handled inside the area, but Barnes, on for the second half, struck within four minutes to make it 2-2 before adding the winner soon after to complete his brace and send Newcastle through.
Head coach Matthias Jaissle praised the winger's contribution after the match, saying "it's not only goals... he is disciplined," while acknowledging West Brom had been "a strong opponent" who would "play a great role in the Championship" this season. Newcastle now travel to Millwall's Den in the third round.
Between them, the two results confirmed the Premier League's heavyweights as the early pace-setters of this season's League Cup, with Tottenham's new record signing already delivering on his price tag inside his first hour of competitive football in England.
