Chelsea fans feel it’s ‘over’ for their star player after Xabi Alonso shines in the game against Spurs.
Chelsea fans are buzzing, thinking a star player might lose his spot after a new signing showed great skills during the Blues’ Sydney Super Cup match against Tottenham.
The two London teams played in front of 80,000 fans at Accor Stadium in Sydney, Australia, on Saturday (August 1). Roberto De Zerbi’s Spurs won 2-1.
Spurs started with their new summer signings Andrew Robertson, Jan Paul van Hecke, and Sandro Tonali, while Chelsea’s manager Xabi Alonso picked big names like Joao Pedro, Cole Palmer, and Wesley Fofana.
Tonali, who joined from Newcastle United for £100 million this summer, scored first in the 17th minute — his first goal for Spurs. Chelsea’s winger Estevao quickly equalized with a close-range header four minutes later.
Both coaches made changes at half-time. Spurs brought in Kevin Danso and Richarlison, replacing Van Hecke and Dominic Solanke. Chelsea swapped Romeo Lavia for Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli.
But Danso’s night ended quickly—just three minutes after coming on, he was sent off for pulling down Pedro and stopping a clear goal chance.
Later in the match, Richarlison scored the winning goal by tapping in a rebound from Jamie Donley during second-half stoppage time.
Even though Chelsea lost, right-back Marco Palestra got lots of praise on social media. Some fans think he could soon replace Reece James if he keeps playing as well as he did in Sydney.
The Italian defender also linked up well with Estevao, with one fan calling their partnership “nuts.”
Another fan said, “Marco Palestra is going to change our lives down that right side at Chelsea. No wonder other fans are so excited—he’s going to be a real weapon.”
Someone else wrote, “Marco Palestra, take a bow. What a masterclass against Spurs—calm, brave, and strong from start to finish. Chelsea really nailed this signing.”
Another added, “If Palestra keeps growing in the Premier League, he could be one of the best right wing-backs in the league. Estevao would love playing alongside him.”
One more fan boldly said, “Mark my words and save this… PALESTRA WILL BENCH REECE JAMES. I mean it! He’s strong, fast, and delivers great crosses. Palestra is the guy.”
Palestra is Alonso’s first signing as Chelsea manager. The Italian defender joined from Atalanta for £47 million and signed a six-year contract at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea now heads to Hong Kong, where they’ll face Italian giants Juventus on August 5, then AC Milan in Jakarta on August 8, and Johor Darul Ta’zim in Johor the next day.
They’ll finish pre-season at Stamford Bridge against Spain’s Real Sociedad on August 15 before starting the Premier League with an away game at Fulham on August 24.