Savio just had a tremendous debut performance for Tottenham Hotspur off the bench, shining with a goal and an assist in an elite display to help the Lilywhites totally dismantle Charlton Athletic 5-1. Likewise, another new addition, Mateus Fernandes, has been brilliant in both games so far, perhaps the only player to truly distinguish himself positively on Matchday 1 of the Premier League against London rivals Brentford.
However, that juxtaposes with Sandro Tonali, as the grand prize of the summer window, in all his 100 million pound glory, struggled badly against Brentford. He was not the worst player on the pitch or even in the midfield, and the pathetic part for Spurs is that even though he was profoundly disappointing, he was still Spurs best midfielder in the game compared to Conor Gallagher and Lucas Bergvall (that is, of course, before both Rodrigo Bentancur and Fernandes arrived).
But Roberto De Zerbi delivered an interesting nugget to reporters after Tottenham's big win over Charlton Athletic, addressing why the Italian international did not start the Second Round League Cup game. He said that Tonali is not yet at full fitness but expressed optimism that he will be this weekend when Spurs return to Premier League action after their loss to Brentford to take on an even stronger opponent in Tonali's former employers, Newcastle United.
Sandro Tonali is not totally fit for Tottenham
De Zerbi said, Sandro was in a plan to work with Marcos Senesi yesterday, very strong, to improve their physical condition. Sandro has to work to feel better in terms of physical condition, but Saturday he will play in the first XI.”
Tottenham Hotspur are 100 percent going to need Sandro Tonali at his best and in top condition, because even without him and Bruno Guimaraes in the middle of the park, the Magpies are still a worthy opponent. And judging by how badly Brentford manhandled them, Spurs are not going to be able to take any team in the Premier League likely, which was probably not the case to begin with after they nearly got relegated in the 2025/26 season.
Tonali is world class at his best, but he was far from that level in his first game at Tottenham vs. Brentford. Hearing that he is not fully fit is actually positive news, in a way, because it is a reminder that Tonali has a way's to go and is likely to bounce back easily once at his best again.
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