Tottenham Faces Chelsea in Sydney Derby as Oceania Tour Concludes

Tottenham’s pre-season tour of Australia and New Zealand ends with a London derby in anything but a familiar setting – the vast bowl of Accor Stadium in Sydney – and Roberto De Zerbi has named a side that underlines how seriously Spurs are treating this final Oceania fixture.

They arrive at the last leg of the trip unbeaten. A controlled 2–0 win over Auckland FC set the tone, followed by a 1–1 draw and eventual 4–2 penalty shootout success against Sydney FC. Now comes Chelsea, fresh from a chaotic 6–4 victory over Western Sydney in their own opening outing Down Under. The football has been loose, the goals plentiful. This one promises more of the same.

First derby abroad, but no friendly edge

For all the branding of “pre-season friendly”, both clubs know the significance of the occasion. It is the first meeting between the London rivals staged outside England, and neither will want to let the other walk away with the bragging rights – even in July, even on the other side of the world.

De Zerbi’s preparations have not been straightforward. James Maddison, a natural focal point for Tottenham’s attacking play, did not train in the build-up and misses out as he nurses a minor injury. It is the kind of problem managers expect in pre-season, but losing a creative hub still stings, whatever the month.

Mateus Fernandes remains sidelined as well. The Portuguese midfielder, absent from the last game against Sydney FC, is again not fit enough to start and was not spotted in training. His minutes are being carefully managed, a reminder that conditioning, not just results, still shapes decisions at this stage.

Yet there is encouragement for Spurs in the team sheet. A number of senior figures are involved, with Jan Paul van Hecke handed a start at the heart of defence and Kevin Danso named among the substitutes. De Zerbi is edging closer to something that resembles his Premier League core.

How Spurs line up against Chelsea

Tottenham go with Kinsky in goal, protected by a back four of Gray, Van Hecke, Davies and Robertson. It is a blend of promise and experience, with Ben Davies again asked to marshal the line in front of a sizeable Sydney crowd.

In midfield, De Zerbi turns to Tonali and Bergvall as the base, with Solomon, Gallagher and Tel operating ahead of them. Solanke leads the line, tasked with stretching a Chelsea defence that shipped four in its last outing on Australian soil.

Tottenham starting XI vs Chelsea at Accor Stadium: Kinsky; Gray, Van Hecke, Davies, Robertson; Tonali, Bergvall, Solomon, Gallagher, Tel; Solanke.

Bench: Danso, Richarlison, Takai, Dubravka, Donley, Scarlett, Moore, Tyrese Hall, Russell-Denny, Melia, Kyerematen, Yang, Ajayi, Hardy, Williams-Barnett, Byrne, Tingey, Tye Hall.

It is a squad list that tells its own story. Senior internationals sit alongside academy hopefuls, with De Zerbi free to test combinations and attitudes as much as tactics. Richarlison waits in reserve, as do a cluster of young forwards and midfielders eager to seize any late-tour opportunity.

Chelsea, for their part, arrive with confidence after hitting six in Western Sydney. Their attack has already found rhythm in Australia. Tottenham’s back line will know they are in for a sharper examination than they faced against Auckland or Sydney FC.

From Sydney back to north London

Once the final whistle blows in Sydney, the tour is over and the tone of pre-season changes. The long-haul flights give way to the familiar routine of north London, where the countdown to the Premier League – now just three weeks away – starts to feel very real.

Tottenham still have three friendlies to navigate: a meeting with Getafe and a double-header against Hoffenheim await. Those games will sharpen systems, refine selections and decide who has truly played their way into De Zerbi’s thoughts.

For now, though, it is about a derby in an unfamiliar home, a last chance to leave Oceania unbeaten, and a question that will linger on the flight back: how much of what unfolds under the Sydney lights will carry into the season that really matters?