Richarlison finishes late as Tottenham win Sydney derby despite Danso dismissal

Tottenham secured a dramatic victory over Chelsea in Sydney after Richarlison struck in stoppage time, despite Spurs having played with 10 men for most of the second half.

The Brazilian followed up after Jamie Donley’s effort hit the post to give Tottenham a 2-1 win in front of more than 80,000 supporters at Accor Stadium. The result also saw Roberto De Zerbi’s side lift the friendly tournament trophy and provided them with a significant boost before the new season.

The match was staged thousands of miles from London, but there was little to suggest the encounter was a friendly. Both teams produced a fiercely contested derby, with the intensity increasing as the game developed into a physical and tactical battle.

Tottenham took the lead early when Sandro Tonali’s shot struck a defender and changed direction before finding the net.

Chelsea responded before half-time through Estevao Willian. The Brazilian met a precise cross at the far post and headed beyond the goalkeeper to restore parity.

Tottenham had looked the more dangerous side during the closing stages of the opening half, but Chelsea substitute goalkeeper Teddy Sharman-Lowe made an important save to deny Mathys Tel.

Spurs’ task became considerably more difficult three minutes after the interval when defender Kevin Danso was shown a red card. Danso was sent off for bringing down Joao Pedro, who had gone clear towards goal after Danso made a mistake while trying to control the ball.

The decision was reported by the British newspaper The Sun. Danso appeared angry as he sat on the substitutes’ bench, while De Zerbi was left to consider how to reorganise his team.

Although the challenge met the usual criteria for a sending-off in a competitive fixture, the decision prompted questions over whether such an interpretation was appropriate in a pre-season match.

Chelsea attempted to take advantage of their numerical superiority. Estevao produced a powerful close-range effort, but Antonin Kinsky made an outstanding save to turn the ball onto the crossbar. The attempt had also taken a deflection off one of his team-mates before reaching the Tottenham goalkeeper.

Kinsky was required again after a mistake by Andy Robertson presented Joao Pedro with a chance from inside the six-yard box. The goalkeeper reacted quickly to prevent Chelsea from taking the lead.

The condition of the Accor Stadium pitch also became a factor. The venue had hosted six matches since the previous weekend, prompting both managers to make numerous substitutions in the closing stages to protect their players’ fitness rather than risk further injuries.

Tottenham continued to search for a winner despite being a player down. Youngster Rio Kyerematen came close when he unleashed a powerful long-range strike that rebounded off the crossbar.

The decisive moment arrived late on. Donley moved skilfully into the Chelsea penalty area before shooting against the post, and Richarlison reacted first to fire the rebound into the net.

The victory crowned Tottenham winners of the friendly tournament. It also continued a promising run of form from Tel, whose performance further underlined his readiness to become one of the club’s key attacking options in the season ahead.