Richarlison struck a dramatic stoppage-time winner as 10-man Tottenham Hotspur defeated Chelsea 2-1 in a thrilling pre-season friendly at Stadium Australia on Saturday.
In front of a crowd of 80,363, Tottenham overcame the setback of playing with 10 men for much of the second half to snatch victory over their London rivals.
Summer signing Sandro Tonali also enjoyed a memorable full debut, opening his account for Spurs with the game’s first goal.
The contest burst into life early when Conor Gallagher’s challenge on Dario Essugo sparked a heated confrontation between players, with the Tottenham midfielder eventually shown a yellow card.
Tottenham broke the deadlock in the 19th minute after Manor Solomon raced down the right flank and found Tonali, whose effort took a decisive deflection before beating the Chelsea goalkeeper.
Chelsea responded almost immediately. Just two minutes later, Romeo Lavia drove through midfield before delivering a precise cross to Estevao, who powered home a header to restore parity at 1-1.
The match took another dramatic turn shortly after the restart when Tottenham substitute Kevin Danso, only three minutes after entering the pitch, was shown a straight red card for bringing down Joao Pedro.
Chelsea dominated possession and created several clear-cut chances with their numerical advantage. Estevao came closest to giving the Blues the lead when his powerful effort crashed against the crossbar, but Mauricio Pochettino’s side failed to capitalise on their opportunities.
Tottenham defended resolutely before delivering the decisive blow in stoppage time. Richarlison reacted quickest to a loose ball inside the penalty area, calmly slotting home to seal a memorable victory for the North London club.
The defeat marked Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso’s first loss since taking charge, coming just days after his side’s emphatic 6-4 victory over Western Sydney Wanderers. Despite significant summer investment, including the signing of Morgan Rogers, Chelsea were left to rue their missed chances.
For Tottenham, the victory provided another encouraging sign ahead of the new season, with Tonali and Andy Robertson impressing, while several key players, including James Maddison and Matheus Fernandes, were unavailable.
