Tottenham Wins Against Chelsea 2-1 Despite Being Down a Man

Tottenham Hotspur's Richarlison (C) celebrates scoring a goal with teammates during the Sydney Super Cup football match between English Premier League teams Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur at Stadium Australia in Sydney on August 1, 2026 | AFP

Brazil striker Richarlison scored a last-minute goal, and club record signing Sandro Tonali got his first goal as 10-man Tottenham beat London rivals Chelsea 2-1 in a heated pre-season friendly in Sydney on Saturday.

Both teams put out strong line-ups. Spurs took the lead on 19 minutes with Tonali’s deflected shot. Estevao equalized just two minutes later.

Tottenham defender Kevin Danso received a straight red card just three minutes after coming off the bench at half-time. He fouled Joao Pedro, allowing Chelsea to dominate the second half.

In front of 80,363 fans at Stadium Australia, Chelsea could not take advantage of their extra man. Spurs shocked them with a late goal.

This loss means new Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso will head to Hong Kong for a match against Juventus on Wednesday after suffering his first defeat. He had won 6-4 against Western Sydney Wanderers last week.

The Spaniard has made several big signings since taking charge, including Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa. He aims to revive the club after they finished 10th in the Premier League last season.

Spurs did even worse last season, finishing 17th and narrowly avoiding relegation. They have also been spending money, with Matheus Fernandes coming from West Ham and Tonali from Newcastle.

They return home after a 2-0 win over Auckland FC and a 1-1 draw with Sydney FC.

Most of Chelsea’s new signings have not yet joined the squad, including Rogers. However, right-back Marco Palestra, who joined from Atalanta, played his first minutes. Cole Palmer and Estevao started after Chelsea used many young players against Western Sydney Wanderers.

Tottenham midfielder Fernandes was not available for the Sydney game due to “fatigue in his calf muscle.” James Maddison also missed the game because of a “small problem.”

Tonali made his first start, along with fellow new signing Andy Robertson. After a cautious beginning, tensions rose when Conor Gallagher fouled Chelsea’s Dario Essugo in the 10th minute, leading to pushing and shoving between players.

Gallagher received a yellow card, but Essugo continued playing. Spurs opened the scoring after a good run down the right from Manor Solomon, who passed the ball to Tonali. His shot got a deflection and went in.

However, the lead was short-lived. Estevao headed the ball home at the far post after Romeo Lavia escaped from midfield. They went to the break at 1-1, with Spurs having a better half.

Danso’s mistake allowed Chelsea to control the second half. Estevao hit the crossbar among several chances for Chelsea. But, for Alonso, they could not make use of the extra man. Spurs surprised them when Richarlison scored with a side-foot shot just before the end.