Tottenham Hotspur may have endured a difficult start to the new campaign, but Ben Davies enjoyed a major milestone in the 5-1 win over Charlton.
It is very much a new-look Tottenham Hotspur side that has kicked off the 2026/27 campaign, with 8 incomings and 10 outgoings already completed this summer. And both figures could still increase with the September 1 deadline now just days away.
The season unfortunately did not begin as Spurs had hoped, falling to a disappointing 3-0 defeat to Brentford on the opening weekend of the Premier League.
They were quick to put that behind them in midweek, however, producing an emphatic 5-1 victory over Charlton Athletic in the second round of the Carabao Cup.
Nineteen-year-old Tottenham academy graduate Mikey Moore opened the scoring before Dominic Solanke and Kevin Danso found the net, while debutant Savio made an instant impact with a goal and an assist.
Savio could have even finished with two goals to his name, had his second effort not taken a deflection off Tottenham’s current longest-serving player.
Ben Davies climbs Tottenham’s all-time appearance charts
Ben Davies started the evening as captain in his 364th appearance for Tottenham and capped another impressive night with a goal of his own, his 11th for the club in all competitions.
The evergreen 33-year-old has been a remarkably reliable servant throughout his 12 years in North London, and his latest appearance saw him move into Tottenham’s all-time top 25 appearance makers.
| Rank | Player | Appearances |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Steve Perryman (1969–86) | 854 |
| 2 | Gary Mabbutt (1982–98) | 611 |
| 3 | Pat Jennings (1964–77) | 590 |
| 4 | Cyril Knowles (1964–75) | 506 |
| 5 | Glenn Hoddle (1975–87) | 490 |
| 6 | Heung-Min Son (2015–2025) | 454 |
| 7 | Ted Ditchburn (1946–58) | 452 |
| 8 | Hugo Lloris (2012–23) | 447 |
| 9 | Alan Gilzean (1964–74) | 439 |
| 10 | Jimmy Dimmock (1919–31) | 438 |
| 11 | Harry Kane (2011–23) | 435 |
| 12 | Phil Beal (1963–75) | 420 |
| 13 | John Pratt (1969–80) | 415 |
| 14 | Maurice Norman (1955–65) | 411 |
| 15 | Chris Hughton (1979–90) | 398 |
| 16 | Mike England (1966–75) | 397 |
| 17 | Danny Blanchflower (1954–63) | 382 |
| 18 | Jimmy Greaves (1961–70) | 379 |
| 19 | Cliff Jones (1958–68) | 378 |
| 20 | Alan Mullery (1964–72) | 373 |
| 21 | Paul Allen (1985–93) | 370 |
| 22 | Martin Chivers (1968–76) | 367 |
| 22 | Aaron Lennon (2005–15) | 367 |
| 24 | Eric Dier (2014–2024) | 365 |
| 25 | Ben Davies (2014–) | 364 |
| 26 | Jermain Defoe (2004–14) | 363 |
Davies could quickly climb even further up the list, with former teammates Eric Dier just one appearance ahead on 365, while Aaron Lennon and legendary striker Martin Chivers are both on 367.
Ben Davies hails ‘top, top quality’ Savio
Tottenham’s £85m summer signing Savio enjoyed an outstanding debut on Wednesday, scoring and assisting despite coming off the bench, and Davies revealed that the Brazilian has already excited his new teammates during his first few days at the club.
When asked about Savio’s debut, the experienced defender told Football.London: “A proper impact. It is what we expect when you bring quality players on. They come on and show what they are about. He was dangerous, he looked really sharp, and hopefully we see more of that.”
Asked whether Savio could eventually replicate the achievements of two of Davies’ close friends, Heung-min Son and Gareth Bale, the Welshman replied:
“You have put him in some good company there I think mate! Look, it is one game, and we are really excited about what we’ve seen so far. He has shown he is a top, top quality player and I really, really hope he can show more of what he did tonight throughout his time here.”
- READ MORE: ‘I coached Luca when he was 16’ – Ben Davies on Williams-Barnett and the Tottenham academy