Tottenham striker Richarlison remains undecided on his club future despite manager Roberto De Zerbi expressing a strong desire for the Brazilian to stay, according to post-match comments given after a pre-season friendly in Sydney. Richarlison, who has less than one year remaining on his contract after joining from Everton in 2022, scored a 92nd-minute winner to secure a 2-1 victory over Chelsea at Accor Stadium in front of more than 80,000 fans.
Roberto De Zerbi Addresses Richarlison Contract and Squad Future
According to manager Roberto De Zerbi, the forward’s long-term intentions remain unclear as the summer transfer window progresses. Speaking to reporters after the match in Sydney, De Zerbi stated that discussions between the player, club, and staff are still required to resolve the uncertainty.
“I don’t know, I didn’t understand well, because sometimes he said to stay, sometimes he leaves, we have to speak,” De Zerbi said, as reported in match transcripts. Despite the ambiguity, the manager praised the forward’s professionalism, noting, “Anyway, there is not any problem, he’s a lovely guy. All of us love him, the teammates, the club, the staff, because he works hard every day.”
Did you know? Richarlison scored 12 goals last season, a tally De Zerbi highlighted as evidence of the player’s natural instinct inside the penalty box.
De Zerbi emphasized that replacing a proven goalscorer is a difficult task for any recruitment team. “For me he’s still an important player because it’s not so easy to find another striker as Richarlison, because Richarlison scored goals and he knows the way,” De Zerbi said. “The new striker, we don’t know, the other striker, we don’t know. He scored 12 goals last season, not for luck, because he feels the way to score.”
Sydney Pre-Season Clash Brings Red Cards and Physical Play
The historic fixture—marking the first time Tottenham and Chelsea have played each other outside the United Kingdom—retained the fierce intensity of a domestic London derby. Over 80,000 spectators watched as Conor Gallagher received a yellow card just 10 minutes into the match following a heavy challenge on Dário Essugo. Additional first-half flashpoints included Jan Paul van Hecke challenging João Pedro, alongside off-the-ball tussles between Dominic Solanke and Levi Colwill.
Tottenham opened the scoring on 17 minutes through new signing Sandro Tonali. The midfielder’s side-footed strike from outside the penalty area took a deflection off a defender, wrong-footing Chelsea goalkeeper Teddy Sharman-Lowe and nestling into the bottom corner.
Chelsea equalized just four minutes later. Estêvão Willian outjumped Andy Robertson at the back post to head home following an attacking build-up down the left flank by Jamie Gittens.
The match turned in the second half following a red card shown to Tottenham defender Kevin Danso. Three minutes after entering the pitch as a half-time substitute, Danso struggled on a poor pitch surface and failed to control a routine backpass. The miscue allowed João Pedro a clear path toward goal, resulting in Danso lunging headfirst into the Chelsea forward. The referee immediately issued a red card.
De Zerbi noted that the numerical disadvantage altered the tactical dynamic for both squads. “It was worse for us and for Chelsea, because if you consider the condition of the pitch, very bad,” De Zerbi said. “And if you consider we are starting from two weeks, maybe less than three weeks, the second half you start the fatigue and playing, attacking against 10 players behind the line of the ball is tough for every team.”
The deadlock was finally broken in the 92nd minute. Jamie Donley fired a shot that struck the goalpost, and Richarlison was the quickest to react, prodding the loose ball into an empty net to avoid a penalty shootout.
Chelsea Travel Update and Mykhailo Mudryk Return
Following the fixture in Sydney, Chelsea departed for Hong Kong ahead of their next pre-season engagement. The squad will be joined in Asia by winger Mykhailo Mudryk.
According to official updates, Mudryk has been cleared to return to competitive play after the Football Association and the World Anti-Doping Agency resolved his appeal against a ban. The Ukrainian winger had been serving a four-year suspension after returning a failed drug test in 2024.
De Zerbi, who previously managed Mudryk at Shakhtar Donetsk, expressed relief regarding the player’s reinstatement. Referring to the winger warmly, the manager said, “I’m very happy – he deserves to play, he’s a good guy, top player. Hopefully he can show what he suffered in the last two years, in the next season, maybe not against Tottenham, but he’s a lovely guy and he’s a very, very good player.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Who scored the winning goal for Tottenham against Chelsea in Sydney?
Richarlison scored the 92nd-minute winner, reacting quickest after Jamie Donley’s shot rebounded off the goalpost.
Why was Kevin Danso sent off during the match?
The Tottenham defender received a red card three minutes after coming on as a substitute when a poor pitch surface caused him to miscontrol a backpass, leading to a foul on Chelsea’s João Pedro.
What is the status of Mykhailo Mudryk’s suspension?
According to club and regulatory updates, Mudryk has been cleared to play again after the Football Association and the World Anti-Doping Agency resolved his appeal against a doping ban.
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