Tottenham Hotspur may have been held to another frustrating draw, but there is one major positive for Spurs supporters heading into the international break: Savio is back fit and ready to make an impact for Roberto De Zerbi’s side.
The Brazilian winger started Saturday’s 0-0 draw against Nottingham Forest after recovering from the muscular fatigue that ruled him out of the previous Premier League fixture against Newcastle United. His return was particularly important for a Tottenham side desperately searching for creativity and a cutting edge in the final third.
Savio had already given Tottenham supporters plenty to be excited about during his first appearance for the club. The summer signing announced himself in spectacular fashion against Charlton Athletic, scoring and providing an assist during a short cameo in the Carabao Cup. His performance immediately raised expectations around what he could bring to De Zerbi’s new-look attack.
There was concern, however, when Savio subsequently missed the Newcastle match after suffering muscle fatigue. De Zerbi confirmed at the time that the medical staff had advised against taking a risk with the 22-year-old, with the manager agreeing that it was better to protect his new attacking weapon.
The good news arrived before the trip to Nottingham Forest, when De Zerbi confirmed that Savio had returned to full training and was fit enough to be involved. He ultimately started the match, giving Spurs fans the chance to see more of the player who had impressed so quickly on his debut.
But Saturday’s result also showed exactly why Tottenham need Savio to hit the ground running.
Despite dominating certain periods of the game, Spurs once again failed to find the back of the net. The 0-0 draw means Tottenham have now gone through their opening three Premier League matches without scoring, while they also failed to register a shot on target against Forest. It is a worrying statistic for a team that spent heavily during the summer transfer window.
That makes Savio’s role increasingly important.
Tottenham have added several attacking players to their squad, including Omar Marmoush and Mykhailo Mudryk, but De Zerbi’s team are still searching for the chemistry and ruthlessness required in front of goal. The manager remains confident that the goals will eventually come, but the pressure will only increase if Spurs continue wasting opportunities.
Savio, however, offers something different.
His ability to attack defenders one-on-one, operate from either flank and create situations without needing much space could become extremely valuable for Tottenham. In fact, De Zerbi previously described him as one of the best players when it comes to one-on-one situations and made it clear that he believes the Brazilian can become an important player for Spurs.
And after Tottenham’s latest attacking struggles, supporters will be hoping that Saturday was only the beginning.
The 0-0 draw at Forest gave Spurs their first point of the season and their first clean sheet, but it also highlighted the biggest problem facing De Zerbi: Tottenham need goals.
Savio could be one of the players capable of helping solve that problem.
With the Brazilian now back in contention and building his fitness, Tottenham supporters have every reason to be interested in what comes next. His explosive debut showed the potential, while the Forest appearance provided another opportunity to integrate him into De Zerbi’s system.
The next step is turning that potential into Premier League goals and assists.
For a Tottenham side that has already endured defeats to Brentford and Newcastle before the goalless draw at Forest, the return of one of their most exciting attacking signings could hardly have come at a better time.
Savio is fit. Tottenham need him. And Spurs fans will be hoping the Brazilian can finally provide the spark that has been missing from De Zerbi’s attack.
