Tottenham Hotspur overcame the dismissal of defender Kevin Danso to claim a dramatic 2-1 victory over London rivals Chelsea in a fiery pre-season friendly in Sydney on Saturday, handing new Blues manager Xabi Alonso his first defeat in charge.
Brazilian striker Richarlison struck the decisive goal in the 90th minute after club-record signing Sandro Tonali had opened his account for Spurs in front of 80,363 fans at Stadium Australia.
Chelsea dominated much of the second half after Tottenham were reduced to 10 men but failed to convert their numerical advantage.
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Tottenham took the lead in the 19th minute when Tonali’s strike from the edge of the box took a deflection after a neat move involving Manor Solomon.
Chelsea responded almost immediately, with Brazilian youngster Estevao heading home at the far post just two minutes later following excellent work from Romeo Lavia.
The teams went into the interval level at 1-1.
The contest turned after halftime when Kevin Danso received a straight red card shortly after coming off the bench for bringing down Joao Pedro as the Chelsea forward broke through on goal.
Chelsea controlled possession for long periods and created numerous chances, with Estevao striking the crossbar, but they failed to find a second goal.
Their missed opportunities proved costly as Richarlison calmly finished in the closing moments to secure victory for Tottenham.
The win completes an encouraging Australian tour for Spurs, who also recorded victories over Auckland FC and earned a draw against Sydney FC.
Chelsea will now travel to Hong Kong, where Alonso’s side are scheduled to face Juventus in their next pre-season outing as preparations continue for the new campaign.
