Syndicated reporting provided by Stats Perform and reviewed by the SoccerNews editorial team.
Chelsea defender Josh Acheampong believes “there are no friendlies” when the Blues face Tottenham.
The two London rivals will go head-to-head on Saturday in the Sydney Super Cup, which will be the first fixture between Chelsea and Spurs to be played outside of London.
The Blues tend to dominate this matchup; Spurs have lost 39 Premier League matches against Chelsea, only losing more against Manchester United in the competition (40).
And Acheampong, who made his Chelsea debut against Spurs in May 2024, is relishing the pre-season battle.
“That experience of my debut all went quite quickly, to be honest,” the 20-year-old told the club website. “I didn’t really expect it, but it was like the start of my journey.
“So every time I play Tottenham, I feel like it just holds a special place in my heart – and it’s always nice to beat them!
“When it’s that fixture, there are no friendlies. So, it’ll be good.”
The hard work continues. pic.twitter.com/C3bxcn2IkD
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) July 31, 2026
Chelsea made a winning start under new manager Xabi Alonso in pre-season, defeating the Western Sydney Warriors 6-4 on Tuesday.
Joao Pedro scored a hat-trick in the victory, while Acheampong played over an hour for the Blues.
The centre-back admitted he’s still learning under Alonso, whose technique in training has taken the youngster by surprise.
“I think the main thing he wants from us is to defend first, to be fair,” said Acheampong.
“Obviously, he also likes defenders that can play on the ball, so it’s just about asking and learning, to be honest.
“I was watching YouTube clips of him when I was younger – and still now just to learn.
” I feel like because he can demonstrate it – like, for example, his passing, he’ll just do it and then it’s like, ‘Wow’. You can see first-hand what it’s like to be on that level, so it’s good.
“I swear, a couple of training sessions ago, he was just like, ‘Josh’, Then he just zinged a few balls to me, and I was feeling the pressure!
“I was like, ‘I don’t know how he does it so effortlessly’, but it’s good.”
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