According to a report by Football London on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso has introduced an interesting training exercise as his squad prepare for Saturday’s Premier League London derby against Tottenham Hotspur.

The Blues have shown signs of improvement since the October international break, recording consecutive league victories under Alonso. Their latest success came against Everton, whom they defeated 2-0 to move into fourth place in the Premier League table.

Chelsea will now turn their attention to Tottenham, who boosted their confidence with a 3-1 victory over Coventry City on Monday, climbing out of the relegation zone. Despite the threat posed by their London rivals, Chelsea will be encouraged by their recent record in the fixture, having won their previous six meetings with Spurs.

One of the main talking points from Chelsea’s latest training session at Cobham was the special reception given to Pedro Neto. The winger received a guard of honour from his teammates following his outstanding performance against Everton, where he scored both goals to secure the victory.

The gesture recognised Neto’s decisive contribution at the Hill Dickinson Stadium and provided an additional boost for the Portugal international ahead of the weekend encounter.

Jorrel Hato also featured prominently in the training footage released by Chelsea, appearing in good spirits as preparations continued. The defender impressed against Everton after being handed an opportunity to start following Pep Chavarria’s late withdrawal.

His display could strengthen his chances of earning another appearance against Tottenham, with Alonso assessing his defensive options before making a final selection.

Chelsea’s training session also included three academy players: Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli, Reggie Watson and Olutayo Subuloye. The youngsters trained alongside the senior squad, gaining valuable experience as they continued their development.

However, it remains unclear whether any of the academy prospects will be involved in Saturday’s match. Their potential availability may also depend on the schedules of Chelsea’s Under-18s and Cobham Next Gen teams, who are both due to play that day.

Goalkeeper Mike Penders was another player who attracted attention during a small-sided training drill. While his teammates wore orange and white bibs, the goalkeeper was seen wearing a fluorescent yellow one.

Football London suggested that Penders may have been operating as a neutral player, often referred to as a “magic man”, in the exercise. This type of training drill encourages teams to maintain possession, move the ball quickly, improve their decision-making and find passing options under pressure.

The exercise could be particularly useful ahead of a meeting with Tottenham, whose pressing approach may require Chelsea to remain composed when building attacks from the back. Penders’ involvement could also help develop his distribution and ability to support the team during possession-based situations, although Chelsea have not confirmed the specific purpose of the drill.

Meanwhile, Malo Gusto and Pep Chavarria were absent from the training photographs and videos published by the club.

Gusto had reportedly been dealing with an injury before the Everton match, while Chavarria travelled with the squad to Merseyside but was unable to feature after falling ill before kick-off.

Their absence from the latest footage has raised questions about their fitness ahead of Saturday’s derby. However, Chelsea have not provided confirmation that either defender will miss the Tottenham encounter.

With Neto carrying confidence from his match-winning performance and Hato pushing for another opportunity, Alonso will continue assessing his squad as Chelsea aim to extend their winning run and maintain their position among the Premier League’s top four.