Xabi Alonso remained composed despite Chelsea’s late defeat to Tottenham Hotspur, insisting the match provided valuable lessons ahead of the new season, Softfootball rerpots.
Reflecting on the result, the Chelsea head coach said:
It was an intense and competitive game. We wanted to win. Of course, the defeat is difficult to accept, but it is only a pre-season match.
He added:
We missed a few chances. The first half was balanced and in the second we came very close to scoring. It was a good pre-season test, but it’s a shame to concede a goal right at the end.
Chelsea were beaten 2-1 by Tottenham Hotspur in a dramatic Sydney Super Cup clash, with Richarlison scoring a stoppage-time winner to seal victory for Roberto De Zerbi’s side.
The momentum appeared to shift in Chelsea’s favour when Tottenham substitute Kevin Danso was shown a straight red card just three minutes after coming on, forcing Spurs to play the closing stages with 10 men.
Despite their numerical advantage, the Blues were unable to find a winner and were instead punished in stoppage time as Richarlison struck the decisive goal.
Alonso, however, viewed the contest as another important step in Chelsea’s pre-season preparations, with the Blues continuing to build towards the start of the 2026/27 campaign.
