London rivals collide on the other side of the world when Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur face off in a preseason friendly in Sydney, Australia on Saturday.
Both sides have already taken to the field for warmup matches this summer, with Chelseaâs opening game under new manager Xabi Alonso particularly eye-catching. The Blues were 6â4 winners over Western Sydney Wanderers, with João Pedroâs nine-minute hat trick late in the match clinching victory.
This will be Tottenhamâs fourth match, meanwhile. Roberto De Zerbiâs men have won two and drawn one. New recruit Mateus Fernandes provided the winner against MK Dons, which was followed by a 2â0 win over Auckland FC and 1â1 stalemate with Sydney FC.
Despite the upcoming clash being a friendly, there is always tension in the air when these sides lock horns. An entertaining, high-intensity affair is projected in front of a possible crowd of up to 83,000 spectators at the Accor Stadium.
Chelsea vs. Tottenham Score Prediction
Chaotic Encounter Ends Level
One can never be entirely confident when making preseason predictions. Mass rotation, weakened sides and the resultâs lack of significance often feed into unusual affairsâas Chelsea can vouch for after their 10-goal thriller last time out.
Alonso and De Zerbi will be reliant upon an unorthodox blend of first-teamers, youngsters and new signings, which should make for a chaotic affair brimming with goal-mouth action.
If this was a Premier League fixture, Chelsea would be undeniable favorites. With it being preseason, the playing field has been leveled.
Chelseaâs defensive woes: Even with their preferred backline installed last season, Chelsea struggled to keep clean sheets. Conceding four to Western Sydney Wanderers suggests those issues have not yet been remedied, especially with Alonso forced to name an inexperienced and makeshift defense.
Tottenhamâs youthful team: Spurs had significant representation at the World Cup and that has left De Zerbi without a host of regulars for the start of preseason. The Italian has had to call upon academy players, who might be required to step up against a talented Chelsea side fighting for Alonsoâs approval.
Prediction: Chelsea 2â2 Tottenham
Chelsea Predicted Lineup vs. Tottenham
Chelseaâs bloated roster is a longstanding issue, but itâs handy for Alonso in preseason. The former Real Madrid manager has an arsenal of first-team options available, with the likes of Estêvão, Cole Palmer, Levi Colwill and Pedro all potentially starting after World Cup omissions.
Alonso should opt for a stronger team than selected against Western Sydney Wanderers, with fewâif anyâof the academy starlets featuring in the first XI.
Dastan Satpaev scored his first goal for Chelsea last time out and the Kazakhstani teenager should be handed some more minutes. Marco Palestra, another summer signing, could be called off the bench, but $156 million recruit Morgan Rogers is not available as he recovers from the World Cup with England.
Chelsea Predicted Lineup vs. Tottenham (4-2-3-1): Sánchez; Acheampong, Fofana, Adarabioyo, Colwill; Lavia, Essugo; Estêvão, Palmer, Gittens; Pedro.
Tottenham Predicted Lineup vs. Chelsea
Tottenham donât boast quite the same depth or quality as Chelsea right now and still have players missing with injuries sustained last season. Wilson Odobert, Dejan Kulusevski and Xavi Simons are all currently sidelined.
Kevin Danso, Micky van de Ven, Dominic Solanke, James Maddison, Jan Paul van Hecke and Destiny Udogie were all omitted against Sydney FC as precautions, with De Zerbi revealing heâs unsure how many will be available against Chelsea.
De Zerbi should make some changes from last time out, however, potentially adding new signings Andy Robertson and Sandro Tonali into the starting XI.
Tottenham Predicted Lineup vs. Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Kinský; Gray, Van Hecke, Davies, Robertson; Tonali, Bergvall; Solomon, Gallagher, Tel; Richarlison.
What Time Does Chelsea vs. Tottenham Kick Off?
Location: Sydney, Australia
Stadium: Accor Stadium
Date: Saturday, Aug. 1
Kickoff Time: 5:45 a.m. ET / 2:45 a.m. PT / 10:45 a.m. BST
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