You know this cliche that you often hear from announcers this time of year: “there is no such thing as a friendly.” Okay, but can you have a derby and a friendly at the same time? In Tottenham Hotspur vs Chelsea, you have a London derby, in a preseason friendly. And it’s happening down under, so it’s branded the Sydney Super Cup.
It’s a match with a brand name, so it’s meaningful to some extent.
Sydney Super Cup FYIs
Chelsea FC vs Tottenham Hotspur
Kickoff: UK BST- Sat. Aug 1, 10:45 a.m. Australia AEST- Sat. Aug 1, 7.45 p.m.
Where: Accor Stadium, Sydney, Australia
Detailed Update on Tottenham’s Long-term Injured: go here
Team News: Chelsea FC Tottenham Hotspur
For a match like this, both sides will want to put on a bit of a show, so you’ll see some starters feature in this one. Overall though, the team sheets here will not strongly resemble what we’ll see when the two sides clash in the regular season.
Starting XI Predictions
Chelsea FC (4-2-3-1)
Robert Sanchez; Olutayo Subuloye, Wesley Fofana, Tosin Adarabioyo, Levi Colwill; Dario Essugo, Omari Kellyman; Estevao Willian, Cole Palmer, Jamie Gittens; Joao Pedro
Tottenham Hotspur (4-2-3-1)
Martin Dubravka; Tye Hall, Ben Davies, Kota Takai, Andy Robertson; Sandro Tonali, Lucas Bergvall; Conor Gallagher, Manor Solomon, Mathys Tel; Richarlison
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, Ratings and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.