Richarlison, Tonali fire 10-man Spurs to 2-1 Sydney win over Chelsea
SYDNEY: Brazil striker Richarlison scored a 90th-minute winner and club record signing Sandro Tonali got his first goal as 10-man Tottenham beat London rivals Chelsea 2-1 in a feisty pre-season friendly in Sydney on Saturday. Both sides fielded strong line-ups and Spurs struck first on 19 minutes through Tonali’s deflected shot before Estevao levelled the scores barely two minutes later. Tottenham defender Kevin Danso was given a straight red card just three minutes after coming off the bench at the break for bringing down Joao Pedro, with Chelsea dominating second-half proceedings. But in front of 80,363 fans at Stadium Australia, they failed to capitalize and Spurs stunned them with a late winner. “Very happy, especially for the first half because we played very well,” said Spurs manager Roberto De Zerbi. “The red card was no good for us, but also (not) for Chelsea because with the condition of the pitch, all players behind the line of the ball, it was tough for them. “But we won a good game, a good test.” The loss means new Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso will head to Hong Kong for a clash with Juventus on Wednesday on the back of his first defeat, following a 6-4 victory over Western Sydney Wanderers in midweek. “It was a really competitive game,” said Alonso. “The second half was really tight, after the red card we had a few very good chances to score. “We missed them and at the end, very silly to concede that late goal, but I think that has been a good test for everyone.” The Spaniard has overseen a string of high-profile signings since being appointed, headlined by Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa, as he bids to rejuvenate the club after their disappointing 10th in the Premier League last season.
