Will the fairytale ever come to an end? After securing their Premier League status in May, nothing has really gone wrong for Tottenham Hotspur.

With the no-nonsense Roberto De Zerbi at the helm, the Lilywhites have gone about their business in an exceptional way. Indeed, before back-to-back wins to open up pre-season, they were spending a shedload in the transfer market.

The arrivals of Jan Paul van Hecke, Marcos Senesi and Andy Robertson were eye-catching, but they then smashed their transfer record not once but twice to confirm the signings of Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali for a combined £185m.

It has been an astonishing summer for Spurs so far and there could be even more on the way. For now, however, the focus is very much back on games.

How Spurs defeated Auckland FC

In pre-season, it is very rarely about the result but more about getting minutes into the player's legs. That is no different this time around but it has been exciting to see some of the performances on display.

De Zerbi's side beat MK Dons 1-0 just a few days ago courtesy of a screamer from debutant Fernandes. Tonali also made his debut in that game but the main talking point was that of Luca Williams-Barnett who was exceptional in midfield throughout his second half cameo.

Tonali aside, two of those players appeared once again against their Kiwi opposition and you could have excused a slightly more laboured performance based on the long haul flight.

However, it was anything but that as Dane Scarlett and Richarlison were on the scoresheet.

Both players are likely to leave this summer, particularly Scarlett, but it was a timely reminder of why he was once so highly tipped to make it big in north London.

It was a simple finish but it was brilliant work in the build-up. Archie Gray, who started in midfield and captained the side, played a lovely looping ball in behind that was met by Manor Solomon. His finish was rather tame but the goalkeeper could only palm it straight into the path of Scarlett who could not miss from a matter of yards out.

Richarlison then put the finishing touches on the performance with 20 minutes to go, getting on the end of a cutback to fire home a simple finish from a matter of yards out.

Tottenham's own Savinho sparkles vs Auckland

Truth be told, there were plenty of positives from the win over Auckland, not least the goals from Scarlett and Richarlison.

Gray put in a really mature performance in the middle of the park alongside Jamie Donley. The 21-year-old spent last term on loan at Stoke City and then Oxford United but has really made an impression on De Zerbi in training since returning to Hotspur Way.

This really does feel like the ideal time to stake a claim for more of an involvement next season. Tottenham's World Cup contingent are not yet back in action while their summer transfer business is not yet complete either. Next on the agenda are forward players with Eli Junior Kroupi and Savinho their two leading targets.

Spurs are in talks to seal the signing of Savinho from Manchester City but this deal has been dragging on for a while now. Whether or not it goes through remains to be seen.

That said, against Auckland, De Zerbi must have come away from the game feeling as though he may well already have his own version of the Brazilian winger in Mathys Tel.

The Frenchman has often been the scapegoat in Spurs colours since signing, only scoring four goals in 38 games throughout 2025/26. He also registered just two assists.

Well, it looks as though he had something of a point to prove in New Zealand on Sunday and while the opposition were far from world-class, Tel was electrifying during his half an hour cameo off the bench.

Replacing Mikey Moore on the flanks, the 21-year-old really caught the eye and proved to be a nightmare for the Auckland backline. It was Tel who was the supplier of Richarlison's goal, darting into the box and towards the byline before pulling the ball back perfectly.

That was one of a number of times Tel had the beating of his full-back with one moment seeing him completely wrong foot the opposition before having a shot saved.

One of Savinho's best qualities is his ability to take a player on and beat them. Last term, he ranked among the best 1% of wingers in Europe's top five leagues for progressive carries per 90 minutes.

Well, Tel put in a very likeminded performance on Sunday night, attempting a whopping six dribbles, three of which were successfully completed. He also had two shots, two key passes and registered six progressive carries.

Whether or not the young Spurs winger can sustain that level of performance across a whole season remains to be seen but it was a display that was very much cut from a similar cloth as Savinho. Having the pair of them on the flanks next season could be very exciting under De Zerbi.