Tottenham Faces Chelsea in Oceania Tour Finale

Tottenham’s pre-season tour of Australia and New Zealand closes with a distinctly London flavour. After two weeks on the road and two games unbeaten, Spurs finish their Oceania schedule against Chelsea at Accor Stadium – the first meeting between the rivals staged outside England.

They arrive at this final stop with momentum. A 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. Chelsea have been busy too, easing past Western Sydney 6–4 in their own opening fixture on Australian soil. Now comes the derby, and with it the sharpest examination yet of both squads’ early work.

De Zerbi balances fitness and ambition

Roberto De Zerbi has not been able to pick from a full deck. James Maddison, a central figure in Tottenham’s creative plans, sat out training in the build‑up and misses this clash with what the head coach has described as a minor injury. It is pre-season, but his absence still strips some stardust from the starting XI.

Mateus Fernandes also remains short of the required fitness. The Portuguese midfielder, who missed the Sydney game, is again held back as De Zerbi keeps a tight rein on workloads. He was not seen in training and stays out of the line-up, a reminder that conditioning, not results, still calls many of the shots in July.

There is, however, experience where it matters. Jan Paul van Hecke steps into the heart of the defence from the first whistle, while Kevin Danso is named among the substitutes, offering another senior option if required.

Spurs XI leans on fresh faces and familiar leaders

The team sheet underlines the blend De Zerbi is trying to strike: competitive, but not reckless.

Tottenham start with Kinsky in goal, behind a back line of Gray, Van Hecke, Davies and Robertson. The midfield carries both craft and legs, with Tonali and Bergvall providing the base and Solomon, Gallagher and Tel supporting Solanke, who leads the line.

On the bench, Danso and Richarlison headline a long list of options: Takai, Dubravka, Donley, Scarlett, Moore, Tyrese Hall, Russell-Denny, Melia, Kyerematen, Yang, Ajayi, Hardy, Williams-Barnett, Byrne, Tingey and Tye Hall. It is a bench built for rotation, for auditions, and for late-game adjustments if the intensity spikes.

Both clubs want the same thing tonight: a marker. It may be a friendly on paper, but it is also the first derby between them staged beyond English borders, and neither will want to leave Sydney without claiming that small slice of history.

From Sydney back to north London

Once the final whistle blows at Accor Stadium, the tour is over and the focus sharpens. Tottenham will fly back to north London and step into the last phase of their pre-season build-up with the Premier League now only three weeks away.

Three more friendlies await. Getafe provide one test, Hoffenheim another – twice. Those games, and the data from this Oceania swing, will shape De Zerbi’s decisions as he trims minutes, defines roles and locks in his preferred core.

Tonight is about Chelsea, about the derby, about ending the tour unbeaten. Tomorrow, the questions turn to something far more demanding: whether this evolving Spurs side can carry the rhythm of July into the unforgiving tempo of the Premier League.