Tottenham made a winning start to their pre-season programme on Wednesday as they edged MK Dons behind closed doors at the club’s Hotspur Way training ground. The match was sure to pose an interesting opposition for Spurs, given the Dons were promoted last season and were already two matches into their own pre-season preparations, but it took less than three minutes for the hosts to open the scoring. A corner fell to new signing Mateus Fernandes and he lashed it in off the post from the edge of the area to make an emphatic start to his own career with the club.
His goal turned out to be the winner, though both sides had further strikes ruled out. Richarlison strayed offside shortly after half-time, before the visitors had another ruled out following a foul on Martin Dubravka. There was plenty for Roberto De Zerbi to be optimistic about on the day, as new arrivals, established players and academy talent all impressed.
Catch up with the action from Tottenham vs MK Dons as it happened below with Standard Sport’s dedicated match blog, complete with expert insight and analysis.
Tottenham vs MK Dons latest news
- GOAL! Fernandes opens account with screamer
- Tottenham XI: Fernandes and Tonali start
- MK Dons XI
FULL-TIME: Tottenham 1-0 MK Dons
18:45 , Arthur Ferridge
That does it! Tottenham win their first outing of pre-season.
Tottenham 1-0 MK Dons
18:43 , Arthur Ferridge
88mins: Spurs break forward through Moore, but he cannot find a shooting angle. He squares for Williams-Barnett, whose own shot is blocked by his team-mate Scarlett.
Tottenham 1-0 MK Dons
18:41 , Arthur Ferridge
86mins: A miscommunication in attack as Moore shanks a volley over, denying Richarlison a shooting chance of his own.
Tottenham 1-0 MK Dons
18:38 , Arthur Ferridge
84mins: The Dons’ set-pieces have left a fair bit to be desired here. Another corner goes begging without a shot on target.
Tottenham 1-0 MK Dons
18:34 , Arthur Ferridge
79mins: A huge save from Dubravka to deny the Dons! A close-range header into his near post is smartly pushed over by the veteran shot-stopper.
Tottenham 1-0 MK Dons
18:31 , Arthur Ferridge
76mins: SAVE! Richarlison takes Tottenham’s first shot for quite some time, but it is right down MacGillivray’s throat.
Spurs come again and Williams-Barnett plays Min-Hyeok in behind with a superb pass. He brings it down well and beats the keeper, but cannot get his shot on target.
NO GOAL! Tottenham 1-0 MK Dons
18:27 , Arthur Ferridge
73mins: The Dons have the ball in the back of the net from a corner, but it is chalked off after a foul on Dubravka.
Tottenham 1-0 MK Dons
18:27 , Arthur Ferridge
72mins: Tye Hall takes his turn to concede a corner with a sliding tackle.
Tottenham 1-0 MK Dons
18:26 , Arthur Ferridge
71mins: Spurs counter from a corner and Williams-Barnett does nicely to beat his man with a change of pace, but his pass lets him down.
Tottenham 1-0 MK Dons
18:24 , Arthur Ferridge
70mins: Moore is found in space and attempts to chip MacGillivray, but the offside flag is up and his shot is off target.
Tottenham 1-0 MK Dons
18:20 , Arthur Ferridge
65mins: There is a foul somewhere in the box as MK Dons attempt a training-ground routine. They won’t get the opportunity to see whether it would have worked.
Tottenham 1-0 MK Dons
18:19 , Arthur Ferridge
65mins: Hardy is called into action again and hands the Dons a corner with a smart tackle.
Tottenham 1-0 MK Dons
18:18 , Arthur Ferridge
63mins: A spell of heavier pressure from the Dons, this. Hardy heads one cross away but the visitors come again and concede a goal kick.
Spurs lose possession as they look to play out from the back, but the Dons striker cannot unsettle Dubravka. Routine stuff for the keeper.
Tottenham 1-0 MK Dons
18:16 , Arthur Ferridge
61mins: Donley is penalised for a sliding tackle and MK Dons come again with another free-kick. This time they opt to take it short, and are immediately pressured into passing back to the defence.
Tottenham 1-0 MK Dons
18:13 , Arthur Ferridge
58mins: MK Dons win a free-kick on the left flank which is swung into the box and bounces into the waiting arms of the debutant Dubravka. Spurs counter and Scarlett puts a smart cross in for Min-Hyeok, who sticks a leg out but can’t quite catch it.
Tottenham 1-0 MK Dons
18:11 , Arthur Ferridge
56mins: Richarlison is wearing the captain’s armband upside-down.
Tottenham 1-0 MK Dons
18:09 , Arthur Ferridge
55mins: The Dons go through on goal but Hardy recovers well to kill off the attack with a well-timed tackle.
Tottenham 1-0 MK Dons
18:08 , Arthur Ferridge
53mins: Williams-Barnett swings in a corner, which the keeper claims with ease.
Tottenham 1-0 MK Dons
18:07 , Arthur Ferridge
52mins: Mikey Moore then makes a driving run at goal but sees a shot from the edge of the area blocked.
NO GOAL! Tottenham 1-0 MK Dons
18:06 , Arthur Ferridge
51mins: Richarlison has it in the back of the net after dinking a tidy finish beyond MacGillivray, but the offside flag is up.
Tottenham 1-0 MK Dons
18:06 , Arthur Ferridge
50mins: Dons made three changes at the break, with Kelly, Matete and Nelson replacing Barlaser, Wintle and Waller.
Tottenham 1-0 MK Dons
18:04 , Arthur Ferridge
49mins: Williams-Barnett drives at goal but takes one touch too many and sees his pass go behind for a goal kick.
Tottenham 1-0 MK Dons
18:02 , Arthur Ferridge
48mins: Williams-Barnett is very highly rated in Tottenham’s academy and made a few first-team appearances last season. Let’s see if he can impress here.
Tottenham 1-0 MK Dons
18:02 , Arthur Ferridge
46mins: Tottenham’s second-half lineup has been confirmed.
Here it is: Dubravka, Donley, Scarlett, Moore, Kyrematen, Min-Hyeok, Hardy, Williams-Barnett, Byrne, Tye Hall, Richarlison
2ND HALF: Tottenham 1-0 MK Dons
18:00 , Arthur Ferridge
We are back underway!
18:00 , Arthur Ferridge
Spurs are coming back out.
Mikey Moore appears to be taking the pitch. Richarlison is up top, Luca Williams-Barnett has joined him.
17:59 , Arthur Ferridge
Plenty of activity down on the pitch as players from both sides get warmed up.
We hope to be able to confirm the changes momentarily.
17:48 , Arthur Ferridge
We are expecting wholesale changes at half-time here. Let’s see how many substitutes come on for Tottenham.
HALF-TIME: Tottenham 1-0 MK Dons
17:47 , Arthur Ferridge
That does it for the first half! Tottenham lead by way of Fernandes’ stunner.
Tottenham 1-0 MK Dons
17:46 , Arthur Ferridge
45+2mins: Fernandes clips a ball over the top for Gray, but MacGillivray is quick off his line to sweep up.
Tottenham 1-0 MK Dons
17:44 , Arthur Ferridge
45mins: Takai heads a Dons long-ball into the hands of Kinsky.
Tottenham 1-0 MK Dons
17:44 , Arthur Ferridge
45mins: Tonali’s through-ball for Solomon does not reach its intended target.
Tottenham 1-0 MK Dons
17:43 , Arthur Ferridge
44mins: Into the final 60 seconds of the half now.
Tottenham 1-0 MK Dons
17:41 , Arthur Ferridge
42mins: The free-kick is well overhit and Tonali is first to it. He sets Spurs away on the break with a quick pass to Tel.
Tottenham 1-0 MK Dons
17:41 , Arthur Ferridge
Free kick for the Dons, then. Can they get back on level terms?
Tottenham 1-0 MK Dons
17:40 , Arthur Ferridge
41mins: Tonali tracks back to cut out a Dons attack and cynically fouls his man, pulling him off the ball. Might have been a booking in the Premier League, that.
Tottenham 1-0 MK Dons
17:40 , Arthur Ferridge
41mins: Gray’s searching cross towards Solanke sails behind for a goal kick.
Tottenham 1-0 MK Dons
17:39 , Arthur Ferridge
39mins: The pace of play has dropped off a bit here in the final minutes of the first half. Can Spurs find a second before half-time?
Tottenham 1-0 MK Dons
17:36 , Arthur Ferridge
36mins: Solanke drops deep to get on the ball and is fouled as he looks to pick a pass. Conor Gallagher takes the free-kick from the half-way line and for reasons best known to himself, decides to shoot. His effort sails well over the crossbar, and over the 20-foot fence behind the goal. The less said about that one, the better.
Tottenham 1-0 MK Dons
17:34 , Arthur Ferridge
34mins: Tel’s corner is cleared quite emphatically before Fernandes’ loose touch sets Dons on the counter. Kyrematen tracks back at high speeds to put the kibosh on their attack, though. Impressive work from the 21-year-old.
Tottenham 1-0 MK Dons
17:33 , Arthur Ferridge
33mins: Tel is having a lot of joy down the left flank. Some tidy quick passing from Spurs puts him into space, and he does well to win a corner, which he will take himself.
Tottenham 1-0 MK Dons
17:30 , Arthur Ferridge
31mins: Solomon does well to chase down Bramall and cut out a Dons attack. Spurs respond in kind and Tel squares for Gallagher, but he can’t quite connect with his shot.
Tottenham 1-0 MK Dons
17:29 , Arthur Ferridge
30mins: The midfielder is back to his feet and contributing to a fresh Tottenham attack now.
Tottenham 1-0 MK Dons
17:28 , Arthur Ferridge
29mins: Conor Gallagher appears to have gone down off the ball.
Tottenham 1-0 MK Dons
17:28 , Arthur Ferridge
28mins: Takai attempts a spectacular ball over the top for Solomon, but it is overcooked and caught by MacGillivray.
Tottenham 1-0 MK Dons
17:25 , Arthur Ferridge
26mins: We are back underway.
Tottenham 1-0 MK Dons
17:23 , Arthur Ferridge
The World Cup is over but the hydration breaks persist. We will pause briefly for the players to take on fluids and tactical instructions.
I wonder if we’ll have a half-time show, too.
Tottenham 1-0 MK Dons
17:23 , Arthur Ferridge
24mins: Paterson attempts an acrobatic backheeled shot at Kinsky’s net, but it doesn’t quite come off and Spurs play out.
Tottenham 1-0 MK Dons
17:21 , Arthur Ferridge
21mins: Gray plays Solomon in behind and he is in acres of space... but the offside flag is up.
WATCH: Mateus Fernandes opens the scoring
17:20 , Arthur Ferridge
Take a bow, Mateus Fernandes.
What a hit, Mateus Fernandes 💥
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) July 22, 2026
Watch our pre-season games live on SPURSPLAY!
Tottenham 1-0 MK Dons
17:19 , Arthur Ferridge
20mins: Kyrematen slips Tel in behind but a well-timed tackle puts the ball behind for a throw-in. Spurs can’t make anything of the moment, though, and concede a goal kick.
Tottenham 1-0 MK Dons
17:18 , Arthur Ferridge
18mins: Tottenham enjoy a spell of nearly two minutes of solid possession, but cannot unsettle the Dons defence and make nothing of it.
Tottenham 1-0 MK Dons
17:15 , Arthur Ferridge
16mins: The Dons were nowhere in the first ten minutes of this match, but have rather grown into it since going behind and Spurs have retreated a bit. With that said, the visitors are having a torrid time trying to play through the midfield three of Gallagher, Fernandes, and Tonali, which has looked very sharp.
Tottenham 1-0 MK Dons
17:13 , Arthur Ferridge
14mins: An MK Dons forward goes through one-on-one and draws a smart save from Kinsky before the offside flag goes up.
Tottenham 1-0 MK Dons
17:12 , Arthur Ferridge
12mins: Tottenham regain possession and hare forward, winning a corner through Gray. Solomon finds himself in a dangerous area but his cross goes unattacked.
Tottenham 1-0 MK Dons
17:10 , Arthur Ferridge
11mins: MK Dons look to attack down the left, but an overhit through ball comes to nothing and Kinsky plays out from the back. Fernandes drops deep to assist but is forced to feed the ball back to Kinsky under heavy pressure and the Czech makes an unconvincing clearance.
Tottenham 1-0 MK Dons
17:09 , Arthur Ferridge
10mins: A rare foray forward from MK Dons comes to an end as Kota Takai makes a well-timed run to cut out the cross.
Tottenham 1-0 MK Dons
17:07 , Arthur Ferridge
8mins: The corner is cleared to Fernandes, who decides not to try his luck with another spectacular volley. The ball is worked back to Solomon, though, and he draws a save from MacGillivray.
All Tottenham so far. MK Dons haven’t had much response to their tempo in the early exchanges.
Tottenham 1-0 MK Dons
17:06 , Arthur Ferridge
6mins: Solomon gets away down the right, and a tidy link-up with Tonali plays Gray in behind. He wins a corner for Tottenham.
Tottenham 1-0 MK Dons
17:04 , Arthur Ferridge
5mins: Well, as far as De Zerbi is concerned, that is the perfect start to pre-season. Not even three minutes on the clock and his big-money summer signing has scored a worldie!
GOAL! Tottenham 1-0 MK Dons | Fernandes '3
17:03 , Arthur Ferridge
Mateus Fernandes opens his Tottenham account in some style! Tel’s corner is punched out to the new man and he catches it on the volley, lashing it into the top-right corner.
Tottenham 0-0 MK Dons
17:02 , Arthur Ferridge
2mins: CHANCE! Tel flashes down the left-flank and crosses to Solanke, who taps goalwards at the near post but is confounded by the goalkeeper MacGillivray.
Tottenham 0-0 MK Dons
17:01 , Arthur Ferridge
2mins: Youth team midfielder Kyremematen has lined up at left-back.
Tottenham 0-0 MK Dons
17:00 , Arthur Ferridge
Tottenham, of course, are dressed up in their new-look home kit, which is catching the light nicely in the Enfield sunset.
MK Dons, meanwhile, are in a training top with no names or numbers printed, which will make my job and that of the commentators difficult tonight.
KICK-OFF!
16:59 , Arthur Ferridge
Tottenham vs MK Dons is underway!
Here we go...
16:57 , Arthur Ferridge
Both teams are putting the finishing touches on their warm-ups.
Kick-off is moments away!
Aims for today...
16:54 , Arthur Ferridge
This being Spurs’ first taste of pre-season football, Roberto De Zerbi will be chiefly concerned with building match fitness and avoiding new injuries, of which he already has several.
He will also have the chance to experiment with some new combinations, and see his big-money summer signings in action for the first time.
On the bench...
16:49 , Arthur Ferridge
There are ten fresh pairs of legs on the Tottenham bench tonight, which means we probably will not see the traditional eleven half-time substitutions fans are so often treated to in pre-season friendlies.
Luca Williams-Barnett will hope to impress as a substitute after he cracked the first-team last season, as will Dane Scarlett.
They are joined by a number of other academy hopefuls, along with Martin Dubravka, who at 37 years old will bring the average age of the bench up considerably. So too will the Brazilian striker Richarlison.
Who is Rio Kyerematen?
16:45 , Arthur Ferridge
Rio Kyerematen is the only academy player in the starting XI today.
The 21-year-old midfielder is an England youth international but is yet to make a competitive first-team appearance for Tottenham despite having been named in a handful of matchday squads.
Able to play in a variety of midfield positions, he is a consistent goalscorer at youth level and will be keen to impress Roberto De Zerbi today.
Shirt numbers
16:44 , Arthur Ferridge
Sandro Tonali will wear No16 today.
Mateus Fernandes will wear No18.
Tottenham transfer latest
16:41 , Arthur Ferridge
Middlesbrough hold an interest in Tottenham centre-back Ashley Phillips ahead of a potential summer move.
Standard Sport understands that Middlesbrough would prefer a permanent move, but are also open to a loan for the 21-year-old.
Middlesbrough have already completed the signing of Spurs striker Will Lankshear for a fee that could rise to £20m if add-ons are met, and they are keen to raid the north London club again to sign Phillips.
Tottenham team news
16:37 , Arthur Ferridge
Lots to unpack in that squad list.
The headline, of course, is that both Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali start, having both signed for the club this summer. Martin Dubravka is another new arrival but starts on the bench with Antonin Kinsky between the sticks.
Manor Solomon is in the fold despite being linked with a move away from the club this summer.
Andy Robertson has joined up with his new club but is left out of the matchday squad, as is Jan Paul van Hecke.
It is a full first-team starting XI, save for the inclusion of midfielder Rio Kyerematen.
There is a start for Kota Takai, too. He signed for Spurs last summer but is yet to make a competitive appearance after struggling with injury in his first campaign before being sent on loan to Germany.
TOTTENHAM CONFIRMED TEAM NEWS
16:31 , Arthur Ferridge
Tottenham XI: Kinsky; Solomon, Davies, Takai, Gray, Kyerematen, Tonali, Fernandes, Gallagher, Tel, Solanke
Subs: Dubravka, Hardy, Byrne, Tye Hall, Donley, Moore, Yang, Williams-Barnett, Scarlett, Richarlison
ICYMI: Why Tottenham have sold Will Lankshear after agreeing club-record deal
16:26 , Arthur Ferridge
Highly-rated Tottenham academy striker Will Lankshear left the club today. Sam Tabuteau explains why...
Middlesbrough have agreed a club-record £20million deal to sign Tottenham striker Will Lankshear.
Standard Sport understands that Middlesbrough will pay £10m up front, with a further £10m potentially due in add-ons for the 21-year-old.
Spurs also retain a 20 per cent sell-on clause and matching rights for Lankshear, who joins Middlesbrough in search of regular first-team minutes.
Lankshear is highly regarded internally at Spurs, but acknowledged they could not offer him the game time he needed to develop.
Tottenham team news
16:20 , Arthur Ferridge
Spurs are yet to bless us with the knowledge of their starting XI, but their website is teasing it as being released in ‘the next few moments’ so stay tuned!
MK DONS CONFIRMED TEAM NEWS
16:17 , Arthur Ferridge
MK Dons XI: MacGillivray; Barlaser, Bramall, Crowley, Goode, Hepburn-Murphy, Jones, Paterson, Sanders, Waller, Wintle
Subs: Stacey, Boateng, Burke, Ekpiteta, Kazungu, Kelly, Lewis-Burgess, Matete, Nelson, Perniskie, Silver, Wiles
Injury worries continue
16:16 , Arthur Ferridge
Tottenham were plagued by injuries last season. Will this one be any different?
Presumably, no. And that is primarily due to the fact that several of last season’s severe injuries will carry over into this one.
As it stands, Dejan Kulusevski and Mohammed Kudus remain sidelined with knee and thigh issues, respectively.
Xavi Simons remains in recovery from his ACL rupture.
Kulusevski did, however, share video of himself playing basketball to his Instagram page last month, so a return to the pitch may be imminent.
De Zerbi explains how he convinced Tonali, Fernandes and Van Hecke to sign
16:06 , Arthur Ferridge
“To want to convince one player, I have to be able to come inside their head.
“Tonali was very young when he started to play in Brescia and was a leader, and I think Tonali needs to play in a big club with big motivation.
“For Mateus Fernandes, it is a crucial part of his career because he needs a particular style of play to show all his qualities.
“Van Hecke is like my son because I worked with him for two seasons at Brighton. I know him very well as a character, a personality, as a leader.”
Van Hecke touches down in Enfield
15:55 , Arthur Ferridge
Tottenham have shared new footage of Jan Paul van Hecke taking in the sights and sounds of Hotspur Way for the first time.
He can be seen undergoing fitness testing and catching up with the likes of Micky van de Ven - his national team-mate - and James Maddison.
It remains to be seen whether he will feature today, but don’t bank on it.
JP's first day 💪 pic.twitter.com/UAAE2PR5SP
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) July 22, 2026
What of Djed Spence?
15:46 , Arthur Ferridge
Djed Spence will not be suiting up for Tottenham this afternoon as he enjoys some time off following the World Cup.
But whether he will return to Hotspur Way later this summer remains to be seen.
He is subject to interest from Inter Milan, and is reportedly keen to leave the club this summer.
Spence’s situation will be one to watch as long as the transfer window is open.
Recent results
15:36 , Arthur Ferridge
This is the first match of Tottenham’s pre-season campaign, but the Dons have already been out and about.
They were beaten 2-1 by Croatian side NK Istra five days ago, and beat National League South outfit Maidenhead United 4-1 the week before that.
How did MK Dons fare last season?
15:26 , Arthur Ferridge
The tale of Tottenham’s tumultuous 2025/26 campaign is, by now, well known, but how did today’s opposition get on?
The Dons enjoyed an impressive league campaign, winning 24 of 46 matches as they finished second in League Two - one point adrift of champions Bromley - to earn promotion to League One.
Striker Callum Paterson finished third in the Golden Boot running, finding the back of the net 16 times in 36 appearances.
Cup competitions were not particularly fruitful for Milton Keynes, though. They exited the FA Cup in the third round, losing to Oxford United on penalties, were dumped out of the Carabao Cup in the first round by Bristol City, and finished bottom of their group in the EFL Trophy, suffering a 5-1 hammering by West Ham’s Under-21s in doing so.
Tottenham pre-season fixtures in full
15:20 , Arthur Ferridge
July 22 vs MK Dons, Hotspur Way
July 26 vs Auckland, New Zealand
July 29 vs Sydney, Australia
Aug 1 vs Chelsea, Sydney
Aug 8 vs Getafe, Hotspur Way
Aug 15 vs TSG Hoffenheim, Hotspur Stadium
Aug 16 vs TSG Hoffenheim, Hotspur Way
Predicted Tottenham XI
15:09 , Arthur Ferridge
Roberto De Zerbi will presumably utilise as many players as possible today, meaning we could see some unorthodox combinations on the pitch.
Sam Tabuteau has had a crack at predicting how they might line up anyway. Here are his thoughts.
Predicted Tottenham XI: Kinsky, Takai, Phillips, Davies, Udogie, Fernandes, Tonali, Yang, Donley, Tel, Solanke
Tottenham vs MK Dons latest match odds
15:00 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
Tottenham to win: 2/9
MK Dons to win: 7/1
Draw: 9/2
Odds via UK betting sites (subject to change).
Head to head (h2h) history and results
14:55 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
Tottenham and MK Dons have only ever met once competitively and that was in 2006 with Spurs winning 5-0 in a League Cup fourth round clash.
They have, however, faced off twice before in friendlies and share a win each.
Tottenham wins: 2
MK Dons wins: 1
Draws: 0
Score prediction
14:51 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
As is always the case with pre-season friendlies, fitness is the most important aspect - closely followed by tactical patterns and then the result.
Spurs are behind MK Dons in terms of preparation, but we would still expect Premier League quality to show here.
Tottenham to win, 3-1.
MK Dons team news
14:45 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
The MK Dons team is expected to feature a mix of senior players and academy prospects.
Nathaniel Mendez-Laing scored in their 2-1 loss to Istra last time out, but should get another run out here.
Tottenham team news: Tonali and Fernandes to make debuts
14:40 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali are in line to play some part against MK Dons.
Tonali may potentially see his minutes limited, though, as he joined pre-season training late due to work permit issues.
Fellow new signing Martin Dubravka has also been part of training, but those who were involved at the World Cup this summer have not yet joined up with the rest of the squad.
Scotland left-back Andy Robertson was, however, in attendance at Hotspur Way on Tuesday for his first day as Spurs player since signing on a free transfer from Liverpool.
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Where to watch
14:35 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
TV channel: In the UK, the game will not be televised live.
Live stream: UK viewers can catch the contest live online via SPURSPLAY. A subscription starts at £45.
Tottenham vs MK Dons - LIVE
14:30 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
Hello and welcome to Standard Sport’s LIVE coverage of Tottenham vs MK Dons.
After five weeks of non-stop action at the World Cup, it's time for the return of club football as Tottenham face MK Dons in a pre-season friendly.
We’ll have all the latest updates, build-up, and team news right here ahead of kick-off, which comes at 5pm BST from the Tottenham training ground. Stick with us!
