Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed their starting lineups for today's pre-season friendly at Accor Stadium in Sydney, with kick-off scheduled for 10:45am UK time. The match marks Chelsea's second fixture under new head coach Xabi Alonso, following a thrilling 6-4 victory over Western Sydney Wanderers on Tuesday, where Joao Pedro scored a second-half hat-trick in just nine minutes.
Confirmed Lineups
Chelsea's starting XI: Sharman-Lowe, Palestra, Colwill, Fofana, Hato, Essugo, Lavia, Estevao, Palmer, Gittens, Joao Pedro. Substitutes include Curd, Tosin, Sarr, Anselmino, Subuloye, Acheampong, Emenalo, Walsh, Watson, Nicoll-Jazuli, Kellyman, Satpaev, Kavuma-McQueen, and Delap.
Tottenham's starting XI: Kinsky, Gray, van Hecke, Davies, Robertson, Bergvall, Tonali, Solomon, Gallagher, Tel, Solanke. Substitutes include Dubravka, Danso, Richarlison, Takai, Donley, Scarlett, Moore, Tyrese Hall, Russell-Denny, Melia, Kyerematen, Yang, Ajayi, Hardy, Williams-Barnett, Byrne, Tingey, and Tye Hall.
Match Context and Pre-Season Form
Both teams have had contrasting pre-season campaigns. Chelsea have played just one match so far, while Tottenham have already featured three times, including a 1-0 win over MK Dons, a 2-0 victory against A-League champions Auckland FC, and a penalty shootout win over Sydney FC after a 1-1 draw. Spurs' new signing Sandro Tonali, who joined from AC Milan, has already made an impact and spoke about his decision to move to North London.
“I spoke with my wife, this was the first thing. We wanted to change our life but not just for the city, we wanted to change everything. We spoke with two clubs,” Tonali said. “We had decided to come back to Italy but it was impossible for the money. England was our solution and we found the best solution in England for me, for my career, for my football, for my happiness, for my family.”
Injury and Team News
Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi has confirmed that Mateus Fernandes is available but will not be risked due to calf fatigue. “Mateus Fernandes can be available right now to play but we don’t want to take any risks with him,” De Zerbi said. Micky van de Ven, who returned from World Cup duty with the Netherlands, is also experiencing fatigue but nothing serious.
Chelsea, meanwhile, have welcomed back Nicolas Jackson and Moises Caicedo, who both featured in Friday's training session after their World Cup campaigns with Senegal and Ecuador respectively.
Broadcast and Odds
The match will not be televised in the UK. Chelsea supporters can watch via the club's official app and website with a CFC+ subscription, while Spurs fans can tune in through SPURSPLAY. Betfair odds currently list Chelsea at 11/10 to win, Tottenham at 19/10, and a draw at 14/5.
The venue, Accor Stadium, boasts a capacity of 83,500 and is expected to host a large crowd for this London derby in the Australian sun.
