Tottenham Battle Past Ten-Man Setback to Beat Chelsea 2-1 in Sydney
Tottenham Hotspur showed real grit to see off Chelsea 2-1 in an entertaining pre-season friendly at Sydney’s Accor Stadium, digging in to get the job done despite finishing the match a man short.
Roberto De Zerbi’s side went ahead through new arrival Sandro Tonali, only for Chelsea to hit back almost straight away via highly-rated teenager Estevão. Things looked to be tipping Chelsea’s way once Kevin Danso was sent off early in the second half, but Spurs held firm. Their patience paid off deep into stoppage time when Richarlison seized on a loose ball to net a dramatic late winner and send Tottenham into the new season on a high.
Spurs grind out a result
Tottenham started brightly, pressing high and looking sharp on the ball. That approach paid dividends in the 17th minute as Tonali’s effort found the net with the help of a slight deflection.
Chelsea hit back quickly, though, with Brazilian starlet Estevão showing real poise to draw things level just four minutes later. The rest of the first half was fairly even, with both teams creating openings as they used the game to sharpen fitness levels.
The match tilted after the break when Danso saw red for a challenge the referee judged worthy of dismissal. A man up, Chelsea began to dominate the ball and pinned Spurs back for long spells.
Tottenham stood firm regardless. Goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky produced a string of key saves, and the defence stayed disciplined to keep Chelsea’s attacks at bay. That resolve paid off when Richarlison pounced on a defensive error to smash home the winner in stoppage time.
Tel’s performance splits opinion once more
Despite the win, plenty of the post-match talk focused on Mathys Tel.
The young Frenchman started on the left of De Zerbi’s front three and showed glimpses of his talent early on, using his pace and directness to trouble the Chelsea defence and pressing well to help win the ball back in dangerous areas.
Once again, though, end product was the issue.
For all his promising touches, Tel couldn’t fashion a clear chance and finished the game without a shot on target. A number of promising moves broke down due to poor choices in the final third, leaving fans feeling it was another display heavy on potential but light on results.
His impact faded as the match progressed, and De Zerbi withdrew him in the 76th minute in search of fresh energy.
What went well
There were still encouraging signs from the youngster.
His speed troubled Chelsea on the break, and he looked comfortable driving forward with the ball. He also put in a shift defensively, pressing Chelsea’s back line and tracking back when needed — the kind of attributes that keep De Zerbi backing the former Bayern man.
The recurring gripe
Still, many fans feel Tel has work to do before he can nail down a regular starting spot.
His struggle to turn good positions into goals or assists keeps cropping up as an issue. Too often he beats his man only for the move to break down through a poor cross, a misplaced pass, or one dribble too many.
