According to a report by Football London on October 21, 2026, Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso is taking an unorthodox approach to training as his side prepare to face Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Saturday.

The Blues have enjoyed a boost in form since the major international break in October and have won their last two league games under the Spanish manager.

Their most recent victory was a 2-0 win against Everton that saw them climb to fourth in the Premier League table.

Chelsea will now face an uphill task to overcome Tottenham, who moved out of the relegation zone after a 3-1 win over Coventry City on Monday. However, the Blues will head into the London derby with confidence as they have won their last six encounters against their opponents.

One of the talking points of Chelsea's most recent training session at Cobham was Pedro Neto receiving a guard of honour from his team-mates. The winger played a pivotal role in their 2-0 win against Everton as he scored both goals to earn his side three crucial points.

He received a special reception from his team-mates as they formed a tunnel to congratulate the forward on his performance at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Neto's heroics against the Toffees will provide a great boost for the Blues as they prepare to face Spurs.

Jorrel Hato was also seen smiling in the latest training pictures and videos shared by Chelsea. The defender impressed against Everton after being named in the starting line-up on short notice in place of Pep Chavarria.

His display will be a positive for Alonso as he looks to decide his defensive options for the Tottenham game.

Three youngsters from Chelsea's academy, Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli, Reggie Watson and Olutayo Subuloye also trained with the first team this week. They got a valuable taste of first-team action as Alonso prepared his charges for their game against Everton.

However, it is unclear if any of the three will feature against Tottenham as Chelsea's Under-18s and Cobham Next Gen sides are set to play on Saturday.

Goalkeeper Mike Penders was another player to grab attention during a small-sided game in training after being involved with his team-mates. Interestingly, he was the only player wearing a fluorescent yellow bib as the two teams wore orange and white.

According to football.london, Penders might have been acting as a neutral player, sometimes referred to as a 'magic man', for the exercise.

A game involving a 'magic man' is usually fast-paced and promotes quick passes, movement, decision-making and confidence in one's own ability.

It is possible that Alonso is preparing his goalkeeper for Saturday's game as he looks to counter Tottenham's high press. Penders will be expected to act as the 'back-post sweeper' and use his distribution ability to play out from the back.

Malo Gusto and Pep Chavarria were absent from the latest training pictures and videos shared by Chelsea's media team. Gusto was reportedly injured before the game against Everton while Chavarria travelled with the squad to Merseyside but became ill ahead of kick-off.

Their absence has raised questions about whether the defenders will be available for the London derby, but the footage shared by the club does not confirm if either will miss out on Saturday's game.