Tottenham Hotspur Archives

Chelsea to play Tottenham Hotspur in historic Sydney first

English Premier League (EPL) heavyweights Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur will meet for the first time outside Britain next year when they face each other on a pre-season tour in Sydney, officials said Monday.

The London rivals have signed on for the “Sydney Super Cup” with Chelsea also meeting A-League side Western Sydney Wanderers while Spurs play Sydney FC.

They will then face each other on August 1 at the 83,000-capacity Olympic Stadium.

“I’ve heard all about our passionate fan base in Australia, and it’s something the club is very proud of,” said Spurs manager Thomas Frank.

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“I can’t wait to experience that for myself.”

Chelsea are also bringing their women’s team, spearheaded by Australian superstars Sam Kerr and Elie Carpenter, for a match against a women’s A-League All-Stars side on August 12.

“The 2026 Sydney Super Cup is set to be a fantastic exhibition of world-class football,” said A-League chief Stephen Conroy.

“It’s a great opportunity for the international talent across our leagues to test themselves against giants of world football.”

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Arsenal’s Eze revels in ‘special’ hat-trick after destroying Tottenham

Eberechi Eze hailed his “special” moment as the Arsenal star’s first-ever hat-trick inspired a 4-1 rout of north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

Eze tore Tottenham to shreds with three clinical finishes after Leandro Trossard’s opener for the Gunners at the Emirates Stadium.

The 27-year-old had made a relatively slow start to life with Arsenal after his £60 million ($78 million) move from Crystal Palace in August.

But against the club he spurned to join Mikel Arteta’s team, the England midfielder produced a sublime display that fired them six points clear at the top of the Premier League.

“That’s a good one, man. Enjoyable day. Happy to help the team, and to win today was special,” Eze said. “It is special. Words can’t explain this one today.”

Rejected by Arsenal as a teenager, Eze has made it back to the top after a long and winding career that now sees him established as one of English football’s elite talents.

Devoutly religious, Eze attributed his man-of-the-match display to his faith. He had scored only twice in 15 previous appearances for Arsenal, but this stunning performance underlined what Tottenham missed out on.

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“I prayed for it. This is what I pray for. I prayed for a hat-trick so I am grateful to God,” Eze said.

“That was the prayer today. God gave it to me, and that is faith, man. All my family is here, and that makes it even more special for me.”

Eze’s brilliance was a huge boost to Arsenal’s bid for a first English title since 2004 after three successive runners-up finishes.

It was the first hat-trick in a north London derby since 1978 and only the fourth in the long history of the bitter derby rivalry.

Asked which of the three goals was his best, Eze picked his second, which came with a clinical finish just 35 seconds after half-time.

“They are all good. Maybe the second one. That was my favourite,” he said.

“All of them are good for me because I have been working on the process to get in that position, so that’s good again.”

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Tottenham Hotspur boosted by Cristian Romero return for Chelsea clash

Tottenham Hotspur coach Thomas Frank stated he won’t take risks over the fitness of Cristian Romero as the club captain prepares to return against Chelsea on Saturday.

Romero has not featured for Tottenham since the start of October due to an adductor issue, but Frank is set to involve the Argentine for Chelsea’s visit to north London.

The centre-back also returned for the corresponding fixture last December, only to suffer another injury and miss three months as a result.

Frank is confident Romero is fully ready to feature, but will take the blame if there is another injury issue for the 27-year-old.

“The positive news is that Romero, Destiny (Udogie) and Wilson (Odobert) are available for selection for Saturday,” Frank told reporters on Friday.

“I am fully aware of the importance of making the best possible decisions. While I will receive a lot of information from the medical staff and performance team, ultimately, the responsibility rests with me.”

“If a player breaks down, it is on me. It is not on the medical staff, not on the performance staff, always me.

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“I take decisions, I get all the information and then I have to take a difficult choice or a braver choice, or an easy choice, so that is it.

“If Romero was fit enough, he would have been involved on Wednesday (against Newcastle), but he is ready to be involved and let’s see how he is.”

Chelsea have won the last four meetings with rivals Tottenham, including two memorable fixtures in N17 under Frank’s predecessor, Ange Postecoglou.

Postecoglou infamously made Tottenham play a high defensive line despite being down to nine men for a large chunk of a 2023 clash, which ended in a 4-1 defeat.

“It was entertaining and we are in the entertainment business aren’t we? I remember the first, was that with nine men and 4-1? Yeah, I remember that one. That was crazy, but yeah, that is in the past,” said Frank, whose side are currently third in the Premier League.

“Some games we are a part of that everyone will remember for whatever reason and hopefully we are part of a game everyone will remember tomorrow and we come out on the winning side.

“It’s a London derby between two big rivals, there is so much on it and against a very good Chelsea team. Under the floodlights, it has got everything to be a top game.”

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Frank confident Van de Ven has ‘big future’ at Spurs

Tottenham Hotspur boss Thomas Frank is upbeat about the long-term future of Micky van de Ven at the north London club, despite reported interest from Spanish giants Real Madrid.

The centre-back scored twice in Sunday’s 3-0 win at Everton to take his tally for the season to five goals in 13 appearances, with Spurs now third in the table — five points behind leaders and arch north London rivals Arsenal.

Van de Ven has become a leading figure in the absence of injured club captain Cristian Romero and could lead the side out again in a League Cup match away to holders Newcastle on Wednesday.

Frank, attempting to retain the senior players in a squad that won the Europa League in May, was relaxed about keeping hold of van de Ven, who joined Spurs on a six-year deal in 2023, for all the talk that Real are tracking the progress of the 24-year-old.

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“Yeah, very happy with Micky. I think he has been brilliant for the club since he signed and he has taken some steps up this season,” Frank said.

“I think he actually defends even better. I think he is still very good on the ball, he added the goals and the headed goals, which I am very happy with. He’s a threat from set-pieces.

“Character and leadership are also growing, and as far as I know, we have a good contract with him, but definitely a player I see with a big future at the club.

“I think he is happy here, that is very important and we’re happy with him, so let’s see what happens in the future.

“I think the most important thing is it looks like he really enjoys his football, he really enjoys his time here, I am very happy with him, everyone is really happy, so that’s a good sign.”

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Tottenham on the verge of signing Xavi Simons for over £51m

Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur are closing in on the signing of Dutch midfielder Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig in a deal worth just over £51 million.

The 22-year-old has agreed personal terms with Spurs and is understood to have already completed his medical.

The proposed contract is expected to run for five years with an option to extend for a further two, potentially tying Simons to North London for seven seasons.

Negotiations between Tottenham and Leipzig were described as smooth, with both clubs maintaining a strong working relationship.

Chelsea had also been in the race for Simons, but are set to miss out to their Premier League rivals.

The Blues have instead turned their attention to Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho, agreeing on a £40m fee for the Argentine winger.

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According to Sky Germany, Simons was excused from training on Thursday and travelled to London to finalise his switch.

Spurs had been determined to secure a creative playmaker this summer, especially after missing out on Eberechi Eze, who opted for Arsenal.

Xavi Simons, a product of Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy, previously caught Chelsea’s eye before spells at Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and RB Leipzig.

At Leipzig last season, he primarily operated as a left-sided No. 8 in a 4-3-3 system but also showed his versatility by playing off the striker and drifting in from wide attacking positions.

The deal, once finalised, would mark a significant statement of intent from Tottenham Hotspur as they look to add flair and creativity in the final third.

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