Chelsea vs Tottenham Hotspur
Two of the Premier League’s biggest clubs are set to meet on Saturday when Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur face off in a Club Friendly at the Accor Stadium.
The second edition of the friendly tournament started on Tuesday, when Chelsea whacked Western Sydney Wanderers 6-4, as Joao Pedro scored a hat-trick. Spurs met Sydney FC on Wednesday, playing out a 1-1 draw before winning 4-2 on penalties, and those results make this clash a decider.
In my SBOTOP analysis of who can challenge Arsenal for the title, I picked out both Chelsea and Spurs as potential, and certainly top four contenders, so let’s see how they get on when they meet on Saturday.
Talking Points
Chelsea expectations
New manager Xabi Alonso arrived at Stamford Bridge with a point to prove after his underwhelming stint as Real Madrid head coach. The former Liverpool midfielder made his name as coach at Bayer Leverkusen, where he led his team to the Bundesliga title in 2024, wrestling it away from Bayern in an historic campaign. But he found life at the Bernabeu tough, and he can improve his stock again with a good season in England.
The Blues have plenty to prove as well after a shocking 2025-26 season when they finished in 10th place, but without the distraction of European football they have little excuse for failing to mount a challenge this term.
The Texan owners have finally woken up to the fact that you can’t win the Premier League with a collection of expensively assembled young stars, and the club is looking to bring experience in. I expect the Blues to be in and around the top four, and the pre-campaign Club Friendly 2026 betting odds back me up.
Players to watch
Cole Palmer, who missed out on England’s World Cup campaign, needs to return to his form of 2024-25, while Argentine midfield ace Enzo Fernandez has come of age, impressing in the USA.
One of the biggest Club Friendly 2026 news stories of the last few weeks was the transfer of England star Morgan Rogers in a £117 million move from Aston Villa with Alejandro Garnacho going the other way. And Chelsea have invested in a right-back with 21-year-old Azzurri star Marco Palestra signing from Atalanta for a cool £43 million.
Spurs expectations
Head coach Roberto De Zerbi has already won admirers in North London after he rescued the Whites from relegation with a run of wins which pulled them up to 17th place, leaving West Ham United, Burnley, and Wolverhampton to take the drop. Tottenham are traditionally one of the “Premier League Big Six,” and that is where De Zerbi expects to take them; and he’s already been backed by a board which has seen the club sail far too close to the wind in recent years.
Players to watch
£100 million buy Sandro Tonali is Tottenham’s marquee summer signing, and he is expected to hit the ground running after he had such an impressive season for Newcastle United last season. A versatile midfielder who can lie deep or play in an advanced role, he has made a superb recovery from his lengthy ban for betting irregularities, and he has the poise and quality to bring authority to the Spurs midfield.
Andrew Robertson, on a free transfer from Liverpool, looks to be a great piece of business. The 32-year-old was awarded the MBE for his services to football, charity, and young people. He made 275 appearances for Liverpool and has captained Scotland with distinction, scoring four goals in 97 internationals. Spurs have also splashed out on Dutch centre-back Jan Paul van Hecke for £52 million, who will hope to line up alongside the excellent Micky van de Ven.
History
Chelsea have had the better of this London rivalry over the years with 44 wins to Spurs’ 10 over the last 74 outings, while there have been 20 draws.
The Blues have won the last six meetings and did the league double last year, triumphing 1-0 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in November before winning by the odd goal in three when they met at Stamford Bridge in May.
Betting Tip
It’s a friendly when all is said and done, but this clash will be a competitive one, and it will be interesting to see how the two sides are shaping up.
I’m sticking with the Blues for this one, but Tottenham at 3.25 or the Draw at 3.80 are both on the cards too.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT)
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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