Roberto De Zerbi was really upset as a Spurs player got sent off just 3 minutes after coming on in the game against Chelsea.
Tottenham’s head coach, Roberto De Zerbi, was really upset after defender Kevin Danso got sent off just three minutes after coming on in the Sydney Super Cup match against Chelsea.
The two London teams played at Accor Stadium on Saturday (August 1). Chelsea’s coach, Xabi Alonso, started some key players like Joao Pedro, Cole Palmer, and Wesley Fofana, along with some young stars including new right-back Marco Palestra. On the other side, De Zerbi picked a strong starting lineup with new signings Andrew Robertson, Jan Paul van Hecke, and Sandro Tonali starting the game.
De Zerbi got things going early, scoring the first goal in the 17th minute with a clever shot from outside the box—his first goal since joining Newcastle United for £100 million.
Chelsea quickly responded though, with Estevao heading the ball into the net just four minutes later.
At halftime, both coaches made some changes. Danso and Richarlison came in for Van Hecke and Solanke on Tottenham’s side, while Chelsea brought on Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli for Romeo Lavia.
But unfortunately for Spurs, Danso’s night ended after just three minutes on the pitch when he was sent off for fouling Pedro. The Austrian defender missed the ball, and as Pedro ran past him, Danso pulled him down, earning a red card.
The cameras caught De Zerbi sitting back, clearly frustrated with the mistake.
Fans quickly voiced their opinions online. One said, “RED CARD FOR SPURS! Danso fouled Pedro as the last man. It’s never a friendly when Chelsea plays Spurs.” Another shared, “I get why Danso was sent off, but it’s just a pre-season friendly, so it’s not great for either team’s prep. Spurs might get more fitness, but the game was going well before that.” Others weren’t as kind, saying things like, “Danso went from bad to worse—came on as a sub and was off three minutes later,” while some reminded everyone, “Just because it’s a friendly doesn’t mean the rules don’t count. That was definitely a red.”
Chelsea made more changes with 10 minutes left, bringing on players like Josh Acheampong, Liam Delap, and Reggie Walsh, while taking off some starters. De Zerbi also swapped out Ben Davies and Tonali for Kota Takai and Jamie Donley.
In the end, Richarlison scored a stoppage-time goal to secure a 2-1 win for Spurs, taking advantage of a rebound after Donley’s shot hit the post—one of the last big moments of the game.