# Richarlison Stuns 10-Man Chelsea as De Zerbi’s Spurs Clinch Sydney Super Cup

**By Tomás Ferreira**  \nPublished August 4, 2026  \nUpdated September 9, 2026

> Substitute Richarlison struck in stoppage time to hand Roberto De Zerbi’s 10-man Tottenham a 2-1 victory over Chelsea at Accor Stadium, concluding the Blues' Australian tour with a late defeat.

When elite London rivals cross paths 10,000 miles from home, the polite conventions of summer friendlies tend to dissolve beneath the weight of historic friction. Xabi Alonso discovered that reality on Saturday night at Accor Stadium, where a packed crowd of 83,500 witnessed Tottenham Hotspur fight through a numerical disadvantage to claim a 2-1 victory in the Sydney Super Cup. For Alonso, who opened his Chelsea tenure with a chaotic 6-4 goal-fest against the Western Sydney Wanderers, this Antipodean finale delivered a much harsher tactical lesson.

Despite the exhibition billing, the fixture carried the sharp edge of a midwinter Premier League clash from the opening whistle. Full-blooded challenges arrived early and often, earning former Blue Conor Gallagher a yellow card inside ten minutes following a late sliding tackle on Renato Veiga's midfield partner. Both Alonso and Roberto De Zerbi spent the afternoon glued to the touchline, barking instructions as their makeshift XIs wrestled for control.

Tottenham drew first blood in the 17th minute. Manor Solomon pulled the ball back to the edge of the penalty area, where £100m signing Sandro Tonali met it with a first-time strike that deflected off Levi Colwill’s thigh, wrong-footing goalkeeper Teddy Sharman-Lowe for his first goal in Spurs colors. Chelsea’s response, however, was swift. Just four minutes later, Romeo Lavia pinched possession in midfield to spark a rapid counter, allowing Jamie Gittens to cut inside from the left and curl a cross toward the back post where Estêvão Willian nodded past Antonin Kinsky.

The tactical landscape shifted dramatically four minutes after the interval. Kevin Danso, introduced at halftime, let an Archie Gray pass slip through his legs before hauling down a marauding João Pedro. Referee Alex King brandished a straight red card for the denial of an obvious goalscoring opportunity, leaving De Zerbi’s side to play out the remainder of the contest with ten men.

What followed should have been a procession for Chelsea. Instead, the numerical advantage exposed a lack of cutting edge in the final third. Despite dominating territory and laying siege to the Tottenham rear guard, Alonso’s side managed only four shots on target all afternoon. Kinsky proved an immovable object in the Spurs goal, thwarting both Estêvão and João Pedro with athletic reflex stops, while Rio Kyerematen rattled the crossbar at the other end as Tottenham occasionally threatened on the break.

As legs tired and Alonso rotated his squad heavily past the 80-minute mark—disrupting whatever rhythm the Blues had established—Tottenham struck the decisive blow. In the 92nd minute, Jamie Donley drove a shot against the woodwork, and substitute Richarlison reacted quickest to pounce on the loose ball, tapping into an empty net to maintain a perfect four-match pre-season winning run for De Zerbi's side.

Reflecting on the chastening finish, Alonso remained philosophical about the scoreline while acknowledging the frustration of the late collapse. It was an intense competitive game, for sure, Alonso said Nnanna Mba. We wanted to win and to lose is not something we like, but it’s a pre-season game and we have missed a few chances. In the first half, it was very competitive, really even, and in the second half we were close to scoring that [winning goal]. But it was a good pre-season game, great crowd and atmosphere, and we were unlucky to concede that late goal to lose.

With the Australian leg concluded, Chelsea's focus pivots immediately to Hong Kong and a sterner examination against Juventus, while Tottenham returns home carrying momentum from an uncompromising defensive display under extreme duress.

## Sources

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