Chelsea v Tottenham: Joao Pedro tipped to make his mark in Sydney friendly

Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur meet in a London derby with both sides seeking a fresh start when they face each other in a pre-season friendly at the Accor Stadium in Sydney on Saturday.

The match is scheduled to begin at 09:45 GMT on 1 August 2026, with Nasser Eddy, a consultant for NCI Sport and presenter of the European Champions League on Radio Nostalgie, predicting a closely fought contest.

Chelsea are determined to improve after finishing a disappointing 10th in the Premier League last season. The Blues have made ambitious moves in the transfer market, despite the departures of Marc Cucurella, Trevoh Chalobah, Andrey Santos, Alejandro Garnacho and Tyrique George. Liam Delap could also leave in the coming hours.

Morgan Rogers, Geovany Quenda, Emmanuel Emegha, Marco Palestra and Mike Penders have joined the club in recent days. Emegha is unfortunately injured. Chelsea have also welcomed back Nicolas Jackson and Axel Disasi from loan spells, while experienced England international striker Danny Welbeck has been linked with a move.

New manager Xabi Alonso began preparations in Australia with a dramatic 6-4 win against local side Western Sydney Wanderers on Tuesday. Joao Pedro transformed the game after coming on in the second half, but Chelsea’s four conceded goals highlighted concerns that remain at the back.

Chelsea conceded 58 goals in 38 Premier League matches last season, and the defence will face a tougher test against Tottenham. Stand-in captain Tosin Adarabioyo and his fellow defenders will need to be more resilient in Sydney.

Tottenham are equally eager to move on from a troubled campaign in which they came close to relegation before Roberto De Zerbi arrived to rescue the team. The Italian manager has been backed by the club’s hierarchy as he attempts to restore Tottenham’s reputation in 2026-27.

Sandro Tonali, Jean-Paul Van Hecke, Mateus Fernandes, Andrew Robertson, Marcos Senesi and Martin Dubravka have all arrived in north London, with the combined spending reported at €267m. Luka Vuskovic, Will Lankshear and Alejo Veliz have departed, while Randal Kolo Muani and Joao Palhinha have returned to their parent clubs after loan spells.

De Zerbi has also indicated that Tottenham’s recruitment is not finished, saying a “bombe” is expected in the coming hours.

The Spurs have gone unbeaten in their first three pre-season matches. Although those games have not been spectacular, two clean sheets have provided some defensive stability. Tottenham beat Sydney FC on penalties in the final of the Sydney Super Cup on Wednesday.

Three of Tottenham’s four goals across those matches came in the opening 30 minutes. Mathys Tel has been one of the more encouraging performers, registering one assist and one goal during July.

Chelsea have dominated this fixture recently, winning the past six meetings. Tottenham’s last victory came on 26 February 2023, when they won 2-0. Chelsea won both league games last season, taking a 1-0 victory in the first meeting and a 2-1 success in the return fixture.

Goalless draws have been uncommon in the fixture, with only three of the past 45 matches between the clubs ending 0-0.

Joao Pedro will be a key player to watch after his outstanding contribution against Western Sydney Wanderers. The Brazil international, who was surprisingly absent from the most recent World Cup squad, came on in the 63rd minute with Chelsea trailing 3-2.

Three minutes later, he provided the assist for Jamie Gittens to equalise. Joao Pedro then scored three times between the 80th and 89th minutes to complete a remarkable individual display and secure Chelsea’s 6-4 victory.

The prediction is for a draw, priced at 3.7, given Chelsea’s ability to score but tendency to concede and Tottenham’s recent unbeaten run despite their limited attacking output. Both teams are expected to score, with that outcome priced at 1.36.

Joao Pedro is also backed to score at least once, with odds of 2.25. Another prediction is that Tottenham could open the scoring during the first 30 minutes, as they have done in recent matches, but ultimately fail to win. That outcome is priced at 4.5.

Chelsea FC v Tottenham Hotspur FC takes place at the Accor Stadium in Sydney, Australia, at 09:45 GMT on Saturday, 1 August 2026.

Odds may change.