**Chelsea suffered their first defeat under Xabi Alonso as Richarlison scored in stoppage time to give ten-man Tottenham a 2-1 pre-season victory in Sydney.**
Estevao had earlier cancelled out Sandro Tonali’s opener, but the Blues failed to make their numerical advantage count after Kevin Danso was sent off.
Alonso named a strong starting side at Accor Stadium, with Cole Palmer, João Pedro, Jamie Gittens and Estevao all involved from the start.
Chelsea controlled much of the early possession and Marco Palestra again impressed on the right, but Tottenham struck with their first meaningful opportunity.
Tonali was left in space outside the penalty area and his long-range effort took a deflection before beating Teddy Sharman-Lowe, who started after [Robert Sanchez was ruled out with a minor injury](https://readchelsea.com/2026/08/01/robert-sanchez-injury-chelsea-tottenham/).
Chelsea responded quickly.
Romeo Lavia recovered possession and helped move the ball forward before Gittens delivered towards the far post. Estevao arrived to head home and level the score after 21 minutes.
The Brazilian remained Chelsea’s biggest attacking threat and had opportunities to score again after the interval.
Tottenham’s task became considerably harder when substitute Danso was shown a straight red card after bringing João Pedro down as the striker attempted to break clear.
Chelsea immediately pushed for a second. Estevao was denied from close range before Levi Colwill also failed to convert a good opportunity.
Alonso introduced several younger players as the game progressed, but Tottenham remained compact despite playing with ten men.
Chelsea appeared destined for a draw until Spurs stole the game in stoppage time.
Jamie Donley won possession before striking the post from the edge of the area. The rebound fell kindly for Richarlison, who converted into an empty net to make it 2-1.
The [Telegraph’s live coverage](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2026/08/01/chelsea-vs-spurs-live-score-latest-updates-friendly/) followed a heated contest which often felt more competitive than a traditional pre-season friendly.
The result gives Alonso plenty to assess. The Blues produced encouraging attacking football and Estevao impressed again, but failing to capitalise against ten men will frustrate the new head coach.
Chelsea now leave Australia and continue their pre-season preparations against Juventus in Hong Kong.
**Chelsea:** Sharman-Lowe; Palestra, Fofana, Colwill, Hato; Essugo, Lavia; Estevao, Palmer, Gittens; João Pedro.
**Goals:** Estevao 21′