Brazil forward Richarlison netted a 90th-minute goal, while club record signing Sandro Tonali recorded his first score as 10-man Tottenham triumphed over London rivals Chelsea, 2-1, in a lively preseason friendly in Sydney on Saturday.
Both teams presented robust line-ups, with Spurs taking the lead on 19 minutes via Tonali’s deflected shot before Estevao equalized just two minutes later.
Tottenham defender Kevin Danso received a direct red card just three minutes after he came on at halftime for fouling Joao Pedro as Chelsea took control of the game in the second half.
However, in front of 80,363 spectators at Stadium Australia, they couldn’t take advantage, and Richarlison shocked them with a late goal.
The defeat means that new Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso will travel to Hong Kong for a match against Juventus on Wednesday after experiencing his first loss, having achieved a 6-4 win over Western Sydney Wanderers last week.
The Spaniard has managed several notable signings since his appointment, led by Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa, as he seeks to revitalize the club following their lackluster 10th-place finish in the Premier League last season.
Spurs, who performed even poorer, finishing 17th to barely avoid relegation, have been on a shopping spree as Matheus Fernandes joined from West Ham and Tonali from Newcastle.
They return home following a 2-0 victory against Auckland FC and a 1-1 tie with Sydney FC.
The majority of Chelsea’s summer signings still need to connect with the team, including Rogers.
However, right-back Marco Palestra, who came from Atalanta, had his initial minutes as Cole Palmer and Estevao began after a number of youths were utilized against Western Sydney Wanderers.
Tottenham midfielder Fernandes, who was unavailable for the Sydney match due to “fatigue in his calf muscle,” was again missing, along with James Maddison, who had a “minor issue.”
However, Tonali had his first start alongside another newcomer, Andy Robertson.
Following a cautious beginning, emotions escalated when Conor Gallagher brought down Chelsea’s Dario Essugo in the 10th minute, resulting in players shoving and pushing one another.
Gallagher received a yellow card, and Essugo persisted.
Spurs opened the scoring following a slick run down the right by Manor Solomon, who delivered the ball to Tonali at the box’s edge, with his shot taking a deflection.
However, the advantage was brief as Estevao scored at the far post following Romeo Lavia’s run from midfield, resulting in a halftime score of 1-1, with Spurs performing better in that half.
Danso’s brain-fade allowed Chelsea to take control of the second-half with Estevao rattling the crossbar among a slew of chances.
However, concerning Alonso, they did not capitalize on having one more player, and Spurs undermined their efforts when Richarlison scored with a side-footed shot at the last moment.
