Mathys Tel turned Tottenham Hotspur’s world upside down. The winger scored a brilliant goal to give them the lead and, it felt, all-but guarantee their Premier League survival. Then he conceded a penalty with an overhead kick that caught Leeds United captain Ethan Ampadu in the face.
Tel stunned Tottenham at both ends of the pitch and they can, with that swing, drop back into the bottom three before they play again – if West Ham United win away at Newcastle United this Saturday.
For Spurs there is, once again, a rising sense of desperation, with head coach Roberto De Zerbi even turning to James Maddison as a late substitute, the 29-year-old making his first appearance in more than a year since his anterior cruciate injury.
This was undoubtedly the most winnable of Spurs’ final three fixtures and yet they could not hold on to their lead. Next they face Chelsea away – and we know what their record is like at Stamford Bridge – and then Everton back here on the final day of the league season. And they have not won at home in 2026.
Spurs have also now surrendered leads in their last two games in this stadium under De Zerbi, dropping the four points that could, with their goal difference advantage over West Ham, have saved them by now.
Even with 13 minutes of added time, Spurs could not make the breakthrough they craved. It only added to the extraordinary drama with De Zerbi cautioned as he tried to help force the winning goal.
Instead, Antonin Kinsky pulled off arguably the save of the season as he tipped a fierce drive by substitute Sean Longstaff onto the crossbar. How important will that be? What a moment of redemption for the maligned Kinsky.
Full report to follow…
10:43pm
Roberto De Zerbi speaking to Sky Sports
“We play a good game, not great but there was big pressure. We did not play calmly. We wanted to win immediately. In the end, I think we have to fight until the end of the season. Leeds played a good game. We hope they play like this against West Ham because it is right like this.
“I am sorry for the penalty we conceded because Mathys Tel scored a great goal. He is very young and it is not a problem for me. He is young and a talent. I will kiss him and hug him. He does not need too many words. He was sorry for the mistake, it can happen to a young player.
“I am happy for the attitude and mentality. We did not play well but fighting relegation is like this, you cannot play all games calmly. We have to improve and change the habits, fighting relegation is different to fighting for Champions League.
“I think the referee was not in the right condition today. Maybe he was not so calm. Nothing for the result, I did not see the situation of James Maddison [the penalty incident at the end].
“Yesterday, in West Ham vs Arsenal, it was tough for everyone, maybe for the referee as well. I do not want to speak about the Maddison penalty, I did not see it.
“We deserve to stay up and we fight until the end. When you fight relegation, you need to stay strong not with the legs but with the head.”
10:40pm
Post-match thoughts of Daniel Farke
10:34pm
How important could that Kinsky save be to Tottenham’s hopes of survival?
10:30pm
Jermain Defoe on Sky Sports
10:28pm
Your views
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Peter C Boyle: “What Chelsea will turn up for the Spurs game? Can’t see West Ham getting anything at Newcastle. If both lose their next games Spurs v Everton last day would give West Ham a chance against Leeds.”
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John Manahan: “2 PL wins for Spurs at home all season could be their undoing. Leeds better team, better chances should have won. Positives for Spurs – Maddison back and Kinsky excellent performance and nothing else.”
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Peter Dawson: “An excellent display of integrity Leeds! Thank you for making a proper game of it.”
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AM Cash: “I cannot see Spurs winning more than 1 pt in those 2 games …. West Ham just need 1 win.”
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Mac Adamia: “Still an important point for Spurs.”
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John Dee: “Under De Zerbi, Spurs put in an effort for the entirety of each game – a big change.”
Remember you can have your say in the comments section at the bottom of the blog.
10:23pm
Who will stay up and who will go down?
10:19pm
Tottenham and West Ham’s remaining schedules
Sunday May 17:
Newcastle vs West Ham
Tuesday May 19:
Chelsea vs Tottenham
Sunday May 24:
Tottenham vs Everton
West Ham vs Leeds
West Ham could pile the pressure on Tottenham as they play their penultimate game first. If West Ham win at Newcastle, they would move out of the relegation zone and put Tottenham in it.
10:14pm
A huge save from Antonin Kinsky
10:12pm
This round of Premier League fixtures
Saturday:
Liverpool 1 Chelsea 1
Brighton 3 Wolves 0
Fulham 0 Bournemouth 1
Sunderland 0 Manchester United 0
Manchester City 3 Brentford 0
Sunday:
Burnley 2 Aston Villa 2
Crystal Palace 2 Everton 2
Nottingham Forest 1 Newcastle 1
West Ham 0 Arsenal 1
Tonight:
Tottenham 1 Leeds 1
10:11pm
FT stats
Possession: Tottenham 57%-43% Leeds
Shots: 16-11
Shots on target: 3-4
Corners: 14-2
Touches in opposition box: 36-13
10:08pm
How it stands at the bottom
10:07pm
Full time
The final whistle is blown, more than 15 minutes into added time, and Tottenham have to settle for a point. They move two points clear of West Ham with two games remaining. How big a save was it from Kinsky to deny Longstaff late on? Could that save keep Tottenham in the league in the long run? This fight for survival is going to go down to the wire.
10:06pm
90+15 mins: Tottenham 1 Leeds 1
Porro’s delivery takes a touch off a Leeds defender and goes behind for another corner on the other side.
Leeds clear.
10:05pm
90+14 mins: Tottenham 1 Leeds 1
We go on and Tottenham have another corner…
10:03pm
90+13 mins: Tottenham 1 Leeds 1
Tottenham have a late corner with just seconds remaining. They take it short and Maddison then goes down inside the box. On first viewing that looked like a penalty but the referee waves those appeals away. Nmecha appears to bring Maddison down but did he get the ball first? It appears he does but is it enough. It is and VAR sticks with the original decision.
10:03pm
90+12 mins: Tottenham 1 Leeds 1
Just 60 seconds remain at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Will we see late, late drama?
10:01pm
90+9 mins: Tottenham 1 Leeds 1
Longstaff has not long been on the pitch but has now had a second big chance in quick succession, getting in at the back post, but somehow kicks the ball further away from the goal than he started. That was another big chance for Leeds.
10:00pm Key moments • Video
90+8 mins: Tottenham 1 Leeds 1
There was that big chance and Leeds were the ones who nearly took it. Longstaff’s shot from the left side of the box strikes the bar and comes back out. That does not tell the whole story though as the replays show a fantastic hand from Kinsky to push it onto the bar. That is a fantastic save. Really any less of a hand on that and it would have gone in.
09:58pm
90+7 mins: Tottenham 1 Leeds 1
We are just over halfway through this long period of added time but we are yet to have a big chance after we ticked past 90. It feels like there is one more big opportunity left in this game.
09:56pm
90+5 mins: Tottenham 1 Leeds 1
Roberto De Zerbi is shown a yellow card for appealing too vociferously. He was not happy with a stray elbow on Maddison from Ampadu and the replays show why he was not furious with that. Naughty from Ampadu, who was not booked.
09:54pm
90+3 mins: Tottenham 1 Leeds 1
A stat to give Tottenham fans hope; no team has conceded more goals after the 90th minute in the top flight this season than Leeds.
Leeds bring on Longstaff for Tanaka.
09:52pm
90 mins: Tottenham 1 Leeds 1
As we head into 13 added minutes, Tottenham have a corner. 13 seems too many! Will 13 be unlucky for Tottenham or Leeds? I do not think anyone was expecting 13 added minutes or to be honest anything close to that.
09:48pm
87 mins: Tottenham 1 Leeds 1
Is there a late goal in this one? If there is one, it will have absolutely huge ramifications on the fight for survival. There is going to be plenty of added time you would suspect, at least seven minutes probably.
09:46pm Video
85 mins: Tottenham 1 Leeds 1
The home fans rise to give Maddison a standing ovation as he comes on for the first time this season. Is that the boost Tottenham need as they go in search of a winner? Spence is also on.
09:45pm
84 mins: Tottenham 1 Leeds 1
Huge cheers as Maddison takes his bib off and gets ready to come on. What a story this could be…
09:43pm
82 mins: Tottenham 1 Leeds 1
Porro is now into the book for a foul on Justin.
09:42pm
81 mins: Tottenham 1 Leeds 1
That was massive from Van de Ven. Gnonto feeds a pass to pick out the run of Nmecha into the Tottenham penalty area. Just as Nmecha was about to shoot, Van de Ven slides in with a crucial block. The offside flag actually goes up against Nmecha but Van de Ven was not to know.
Bergvall is on for Tottenham in place of Bentancur.
09:40pm Analysis
80 mins: Tottenham 1 Leeds 1
And just like that the Tottenham stadium is full of anxiety again. The atmosphere had been really positive, but the home fans have gone quiet now and the Leeds fans are rejoicing and sensing the possibility of snatching a win.
09:40pm
79 mins: Tottenham 1 Leeds 1
As it stands, Tottenham would be just two points ahead of West Ham with two games to go.
Rodon, against his former club, is booked for cynically pulling Tel back.
09:39pm
78 mins: Tottenham 1 Leeds 1
We spoke about whether Tottenham would regret their missed chances and at the moment they could be paying the price. They had the chances at 1-0 up to go further in front but failed to take advantage. You can now feel the anxiety from the home fans.
09:37pm Analysis
75 mins: Tottenham 1 Leeds 1
Leeds substitute Lukas Nmecha stood on the penalty spot for the entirety of the VAR review to stop any Spurs players scuffing it up before Calvert-Lewin took his spot-kick. Clever.
09:34pm Key moments • Goals
GOAL! Leeds level from the spot
Calvert-Lewin steps up and puts it into the left corner of the goal. Kinsky went the right way but could not stop a powerful effort from Calvert-Lewin. A superb penalty under pressure and that could be a massive moment in the fight for Premier League survival. West Ham fans will be cheering in addition to the Leeds supporters.
09:33pm Key moments
PENALTY LEEDS!
The referee should not need to see too many replays but he does. This looks a pretty easy decision and the original decision is overturned. Leeds are awarded a penalty and this is a big moment in the fight for survival…
09:31pm
70 mins: Tottenham 1 Leeds 0
Leeds want a penalty and it looked like a good shout. Ampadu tries to head the ball at the same time as Tel attempts an overhead kick. Tel gets none of the ball and this should be a penalty as he does make contact with Ampadu. Play is eventually stopped as Ampadu is still down with a head injury. There should not be real doubt about this; it should be given as a penalty. It is a ridiculous decision from Tel to go for the overhead kick and he could pay the price.
The referee is sent to the screen and we know what normally follows…
09:27pm
66 mins: Tottenham 1 Leeds 0
Palhinha is booked for a challenge on Nmecha and he can have no complaints. It is a naughty tackle from the Portuguese midfielder; had he caught Nmecha higher there could have been a conversation about more than a yellow card.
09:24pm
63 mins: Tottenham 1 Leeds 0
Leeds make their second and third substitutions of the night as Gnonto and Nmecha replace James and Aarosnon.
09:20pm
60 mins: Tottenham 1 Leeds 0
The only regret Tottenham will really have an hour into this game is that they are not further ahead. They have been the better side tonight and have created plenty of decent chances but have scored just the once. This place will get very tense if they are only a goal to the good in the closing stages of this game, knowing what is at stake.
Tottenham have not won at home in the Premier League since December 6, when Thomas Frank was still in charge. De Zerbi pulled his hood over his eyes when Richarlison just blazed a good chance over the bar. One more goal and Spurs will be well on their way to breaking their home duck.
09:19pm Video
57 mins: Tottenham 1 Leeds 0
Richarlison spurns a glorious chance to double Tottenham’s lead. Kolo Muani gets the better of Bornauw and squares it for Richarlison. The Brazilian though blazes his effort from ten yards out high into the stands.
09:16pm
55 mins: Tottenham 1 Leeds 0
Struijk was struggling with his hip in the first half and has now gone down, with his night looking like it is over. It is indeed game over for the Dutchman as Bornauw is coming on to replace him.
09:13pm
52 mins: Tottenham 1 Leeds 0
As it stands, Tottenham would be four points clear of West Ham with a far better goal difference with a couple of games remaining.
09:11pm Key moments • Goals • Video
GOAL! Tel screamer puts Tottenham in front
A massive goal in the fight for Premier League survival. Porro’s corner out on the right is headed out to the edge of the Leeds penalty area, where Tel takes one touch before picking out the top corner. That is a stunning finish and Darlow had no chance of saving that one. The hearts of Tottenham fans are lifted, those of a West Ham persuasion have just sunk.
That’s Tel’s first goal since early January and it could not have come at a better time for Tottenham. The noise levels have gone up a couple of levels inside the Spurs stadium and the home fans are anticipating taking a huge step towards Premier League safety.
09:10pm Analysis
49 mins: Tottenham 0 Leeds 0
James Maddison spent quite a long time warming up on his own during half-time. Could that be a sign that we will see him make his first Tottenham appearance in over a year at some point?
09:08pm
46 mins: Tottenham 0 Leeds 0
Not even a minute into the second half, play is halted due to an accidental clash of heads between Bijol and Richarlison, with the former coming off worse. after a bit of treatment, Bijol is back to his feet but he is going to have a sizeable bump on his head in the morning.
09:06pm
Second half
We are back under way in north London. These next 45 minutes are crucial in the fight for Premier League survival. Tottenham could take a massive step towards safety with a win but a draw or loss will give hope to West Ham.
No changes for either side at the break.
09:00pm Analysis
Verdict at the break
Half-time at Tottenham. Plenty of huff and puff from Tottenham, who had more of the ball. But the biggest chance went to Leeds, as Kinsky had to save well from Rodon. As has become their tradition this season, the Spurs players all waited for each other to head into the tunnel at the break. Not really sure what good that does, but it’s better than huddling around the referee I guess.
08:53pm
HT stats
Possession: Tottenham 62%-38% Leeds
Shots: 10-3
Shots on target: 2-1
Corners: 6-1
Touches in opposition box: 18-5
08:50pm
Half-time
The first half is brought to an end and it remains goalless in north London. Tottenham have had the better of the first half but have failed to take their chances and the nerves will increase the longer the game stays at 0-0.
08:48pm
45 mins: Tottenham 0 Leeds 0
Leeds are pleading for a penalty but the offside flag has gone up. Aaronson is found in space making a run into the left channel and cuts inside Van de Ven. He then plays a pass into Calvert-Lewin inside the Tottenham penalty area. Calvert-Lewin then appears to have been brought down by Udogie but the offside flag has gone up. Was Calvert-Lewin actually offside or was Udogie playing him onside? If Calvert-Lewin is onside, this could well be a penalty. Calvert-Lewin is adjudged to be offside so the penalty incident does not matter. There would have been plenty of Tottenham hearts in mouths there!
Two added minutes at the end of this first half but that will be extended due to that VAR check.
08:42pm
41 mins: Tottenham 0 Leeds 0
Tottenham have certainly had the better of this first half but have been unable to take any of their chances, which will ramp up the tension and anxiety inside the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The first booking of the night goes the way of Tottenham as Danso brings Aaronson down after the American had pushed the ball past the Austrian defender.
08:40pm
39 mins: Tottenham 0 Leeds 0
Another chance comes and goes for Tottenham. Porro swings in a corner from the right and picks out Bentancur but his free header from 10 yards out goes wide of the far post.
08:37pm Key moments • Analysis
36 mins: Tottenham 0 Leeds 0
Palhinha spurns a huge chance to give Tottenham the lead from eight yards out. Leeds fail to clear a cross into their box and Palhinha gets past a few Leeds defender before shooting. However, the Portuguese midfielder is unable to keep his shot down and blazes over. He should be at the very least hitting the target.
One of my footballer lookalikes is Tottenham’s on-loan midfielder Joao Palhinha and actor Pedro Pascal – or Javier Pena for fans of the Netflix drama Narcos. I think Pascal might have scored that chance Palhinha put over the bar.
Joao Palhinha should have done so much better with this opportunity – Justin Setterfield/Getty Images
08:34pm Key moments
33 mins: Tottenham 0 Leeds 0
Porro crosses from the right and picks out Richarlison in the centre of the penalty area. The Brazilian’s shot from eight yards out takes a slight deflection and is easily gathered by Darlow.
However, a rule that is very rarely enforced then gifts Tottenham a corner. Darlow takes too long to release the ball and the referee punishes him by awarding a corner.
It results in a mad scramble inside the Leeds box and Porro ends up firing towards goal. Struijk is on hand to make a crucial block near his own line.
08:31pm
31 mins: Tottenham 0 Leeds 0
West Ham obviously want Tottenham to lose tonight but at the very least they do not want to see Tottenham win. If this game were to finish 0-0, Tottenham would be two points ahead of West Ham with two games left.
08:29pm
29 mins: Tottenham 0 Leeds 0
Leeds are having to negotiate a period of set-piece bombardment, both from Tel’s corners and Danso’s long throws but so far they are dealing with the pressure.
08:28pm
27 mins: Tottenham 0 Leeds 0
Tel drives into the Leeds penalty area from the left wing and goes between Tanaka and Rodon, with neither of them being able to challenge without giving away a penalty. Bijol then makes a crucial block but Tottenham do win a corner out on the left.
Tel takes but his delivery is easily headed away at the front post by Calvert-Lewin.
08:25pm Analysis
23 mins: Tottenham 0 Leeds 0
What a turnaround it has been for Antonin Kinsky. The Spurs fans behind his goal reacted to the goalkeeper’s fabulous save from Rodon by chanting the goalkeeper’s name. That horrible night in Madrid already seems like a long time ago.
Leeds inches away from taking the lead – John Walton/PA
08:22pm Key moments
20 mins: Tottenham 0 Leeds 0
A huge save from Kinsky. Leeds take a short corner out on the left and Aaronson clips a cross to the back post. Rodon meets it and heads towards goal but Kinsky does well to get down to his left to make the save on his own line. Some of the ball did cross the line but not all of it. How big a moment could that be in this game and the relegation battle?
08:20pm
19 mins: Tottenham 0 Leeds 0
Since that very early Struijk header, Leeds have barely ventured forward. Tottenham have dominated possession thus far.
There is nearly an absolutely ridiculous moment from Tel. Under pressure from James on his own byline, Tel plays a suicidal ball across his penalty box and he has his teammate Danso to thank for sparing his blushes as Justin was eyeing up a header. So stupid from Tel in a moment that nearly cost his side a goal and Roberto De Zerbi tells his team to calm down.
08:17pm
16 mins: Tottenham 0 Leeds 0
Leeds have to defend back-to-back Tottenham corners but they safely negotiate both.
08:13pm Analysis
12 mins: Tottenham 0 Leeds 0
Referee Jarred Gillett has come over to have a word with Roberto De Zerbi about straying from his technical area. Referees never seem to have a word with De Zerbi’s north London counterpart do they?!
De Zerbi has already earned a telling off from referee Jarred Gillett. He had been jumping up and down on the touchline, but nothing seemed untoward. Maybe it was something he said, as the Italian seemed to accept his ticking off.
08:11pm
9 mins: Tottenham 0 Leeds 0
Justin has received treatment and, after the mandatory 30 seconds off the pitch, he is back on.
That was a good chance for Richarlison. Porro feeds a pass forward to Richarlison, who had initially got away from Rodon, but a loose first touch from the Brazilian allows Rodon to get back and shepherd it back to his keeper. Rodon was lucky there as he had tried to play Richarlison offside and failed miserably.
08:08pm
7 mins: Tottenham 0 Leeds 0
Play is halted as Leeds’ Justin is down. The medics are called on to treat some blood to Justin’s nose. Leeds have travelled to north London tonight without both Bogle and Gudmundsson.
08:04pm
3 mins: Tottenham 0 Leeds 0
Leeds are going to have a big say on the final team to be relegated. They face Tottenham this evening in north London and then will be in east London on the final day to face West Ham. Leeds’ safety is already guaranteed and now the question is how will they impact the fates of Tottenham and West Ham.
08:02pm
1 min: Tottenham 0 Leeds 0
The first chance of the game comes for the visitors. James clips in a cross from the right to the back post, where Struijk meets it but the Dutchman’s header goes wide.
08:01pm
Kick-off
We are under way in north London in what is a huge game near the bottom of the table. A win for Tottenham would put them four points above West Ham with just two games remaining. A Tottenham defeat means there would be just one point separating Tottenham and West Ham. The stakes are incredibly high for the home side, whereas Leeds can play with freedom knowing they are safe.
07:56pm Opinion
Nearly ready for action
Both sides emerge from the tunnel and we are just moments away from kick-off in north London. Here is a reminder of how the two sides line up this evening:
Tottenham: Kinsky, Porro, Danso, Van de Ven, Udogie, Palhinha, Gallagher, Bentancur, Tel, Kolo Muani, Richarlison.
Substitutes: Austin, Dragusin, Bissouma, Maddison, Gray, Bergvall, Spence, Sarr, Souza.
Leeds: Darlow, Rodon, Bijol, Struijk, Justin, James, Ampadu, Tanaka, Aaronson, Stach, Calvert-Lewin.
Substitutes: Perri, Byram, Bornauw, Longstaff, Chadwick, Gnonto, Piroe, Nmecha.
There was a noticeably lighter feel in the atmosphere outside the Tottenham stadium tonight. Two successive wins has lifted some of the anxiety at Spurs and Leeds have arrived knowing they are safe. Three points for the home side tonight would all-but confirm their safety in the Premier League.
As we build towards kick-off and Tottenham Hotspur do their best to whip up the crowd there has been a chant from the Leeds United end of “we are staying up”. West Ham United’s dramatic defeat to Arsenal on Sunday ensured Leeds will be in the Premier League next season. The question is how will they respond this evening? Will they play with freedom or relax because it is job done for them?
07:51pm Opinion
Hoddle in attendance
Glenn Hoddle has been introduced as a guest, standing between the dug-outs, by PA announcer Paul Coyte ahead of kick-off. Hoddle had hoped to get the interim manager’s job when Igor Tudor was sacked. Instead Tottenham Hotspur managed to persuade Roberto De Zerbi to take over and how they appear to have lucked out with the Italian who has transformed the atmosphere around the club and brought back a bit of belief. Hoddle is talking about the confidence that back-to-back wins has brought. Let’s see if Spurs can show that against Leeds United.
07:47pm
Pre-match thoughts of Tottenham’s Kevin Danso
07:42pm
Leeds’ last five results
Leeds 3 Burnley 1 (Premier League)
Chelsea 1 Leeds 0 (FA Cup)
Bournemouth 2 Leeds 2 (Premier League)
Leeds 3 Wolves 0 (Premier League)
Manchester United 1 Leeds 2 (Premier League)
07:36pm
Jamie Carragher on Leeds
07:29pm
Tottenham’s last five results (all Premier League)
Aston Villa 1 Tottenham 2
Wolves 0 Tottenham 1
Tottenham 2 Brighton 2
Sunderland 1 Tottenham 0
Tottenham 0 Nottingham Forest 3
Tottenham lost their first game under Roberto De Zerbi away at Sunderland but have taken seven out of nine possible points since.
07:23pm
Jamie Carragher on Roberto De Zerbi
07:18pm
Roberto De Zerbi speaking to Sky Sports
07:12pm
This round of Premier League fixtures
Saturday:
Liverpool 1 Chelsea 1
Brighton 3 Wolves 0
Fulham 0 Bournemouth 1
Sunderland 0 Manchester United 0
Manchester City 3 Brentford 0
Sunday:
Burnley 2 Aston Villa 2
Crystal Palace 2 Everton 2
Nottingham Forest 1 Newcastle 1
West Ham 0 Arsenal 1
Tonight:
Tottenham vs Leeds 8pm
07:07pm
Pre-match thoughts of Tottenham’s Conor Gallagher
07:02pm
Teams in full
Tottenham: Kinsky, Porro, Danso, Van de Ven, Udogie, Palhinha, Gallagher, Bentancur, Tel, Kolo Muani, Richarlison.
Substitutes: Austin, Dragusin, Bissouma, Maddison, Gray, Bergvall, Spence, Sarr, Souza.
Leeds: Darlow, Rodon, Bijol, Struijk, Justin, James, Ampadu, Tanaka, Aaronson, Stach, Calvert-Lewin.
Substitutes: Perri, Byram, Bornauw, Longstaff, Chadwick, Gnonto, Piroe, Nmecha.
06:59pm
How things stand at the bottom
06:51pm
Ex-Tottenham man Jermain Defoe on Sky Sports
06:46pm Key moments
Tottenham team
06:45pm Key moments
Leeds team
06:41pm
‘How De Zerbi is turning Tottenham around’
For the few who saw Marseille’s victory over Aston Villa in the Stade Vélodrome in August, as well as Tottenham Hotspur’s win at Villa Park nine months later on Sunday, just Spurs’ second in the Premier League in 2026, the similarities were striking.
Roberto De Zerbi, the manager of Marseille at the time, and now in charge of Spurs, had asked his team last weekend to press high, and show an energy and willingness to hunt for the ball. It was much the same as his Marseille side had done in that 3-1 pre-season win and the fact Spurs came up against one of the worst Villa performances of this season or many others was helpful. But it also demonstrated the swift changes that the Italian is trying to make in what is a crisis. Finally Spurs had back-to-league wins for the first time since August as they fight for their Premier League lives.
06:35pm Key moments
Will Tottenham take a big step towards safety?
It is a huge game near the bottom of the table as Tottenham host Leeds. Tottenham’s survival hopes received a boost yesterday from their biggest rivals, with Arsenal beating West Ham in dramatic circumstances. That result means Tottenham could go four points clear of West Ham and the relegation zone if they win tonight, with just two games left.
Tottenham are unbeaten in their last three league games, with a draw at home against Brighton followed up by consecutive away wins at Wolves and then Aston Villa. If they were to win tonight, it would be the first time in over a year that Tottenham have won three straight league games.
“First of all, we go to play against one of the best teams in this moment,” Tottenham boss Roberto de Zerbi said. “In the last five or six games, they won against Manchester United, drew at Bournemouth playing well, and won at home two times, and for that we have big respect. We cannot think in different ways. We have to keep this mentality. We must remain humble. Nothing has changed. We have to prepare for an important game, but in the same way we are playing.
“We did not play so well in Wolves, but in the first 30 mins we played ok. Against Brighton we played 90 minutes very well. We have to stay focused on this type of performance, attitude and spirit. [Leeds’] style is very clear. They have a great organisation with and without the ball. They have great players, not to fight relegation but [for a] higher level. But the focus is on us. Not because we have become arrogant, but because we have the quality, if we play like we know we can, to win the game.”
Tottenham come into tonight’s game off the back of consecutive wins – Richard Heathcote/Getty Images
Dominic Solanke is not quite fit to feature but could be available for their trip to Chelsea. Guglielmo Vicario is also out, with Xavi Simons, Cristian Romero and Mohammed Kudus all out for the season.
Leeds are currently on a six-match unbeaten run and their Premier League safety is secured following West Ham’s defeat to Arsenal yesterday. Since the start of December, only six teams have picked up more Premier League points than Leeds’ 32. Leeds have travelled without forward Noah Okafor, who misses out due to a calf strain. Gabriel Gudmundsson is also not available.
When these sides met at Elland Road back in October, Thomas Frank’s Tottenham won 2-1 thanks to goals from Mathys Tel and Mohammed Kudus. Tottenham have in fact won eight of their last nine Premier League games against Leeds, with Leeds’ last win in this meeting coming back in May 2021.
Team news to follow shortly.
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