Second Half Action
66 mins: Palhinha receives a booking for a foul on Nmecha. The challenge was not particularly violent but involved both feet.
63 mins: Leeds make two substitutions, with James and Aaronson replaced by Gnonto and Nmecha.
61 mins: Leeds execute a neat passing sequence from the left. James touches the ball to Calvert-Lewin, who returns it promptly. James then shoots wide from 20 yards.
58 mins: Tottenham nearly double their lead. The ball is lofted towards Kolo Muani, who lifts it over Bornauw—who then falls—and squares to Richarlison. The Brazilian faces an open goal but fails to hit the target.
56 mins: Leeds make their first substitution, bringing on Sebastiaan Bornauw for Struijk.
54 mins: Matthew Carpenter-Arevalo comments,
“I feel like I have seen Tel try to take that shot and miss it at least two dozen times. Finally, it came off! Tel’s first goal of the season came against Leeds. Perhaps his last will also.”
52 mins: Mathys Tel displays two exquisite touches: the first to stop the ball dead, the second to send it arcing beyond Darlow. While his overall performance has been mixed, this moment was pure class.
Goal! Tottenham 1-0 Leeds (Tel, 51 mins)
Tottenham take the lead! After a corner is cleared to Tel on the edge of the area, he curls a magnificent shot into the far post.
50 mins: Spurs shift their attacking focus from the left to the right early in the second half. Kolo Muani wins a corner.
46 mins: Richarlison jumps for a forward ball and inadvertently elbows Bijol. The referee does not intervene, but Leeds’ medical staff attend to Bijol.
46 mins: The second half begins with Spurs kicking off and advancing the ball forward. No substitutions have been made at halftime.
Kari Tulinius writes,
“I realise that Leeds aren’t the story tonight, but I feel they haven’t been praised enough for their brilliant campaign. I worried for them because they never seemed to have any luck, but they never got discouraged. When things go against a promoted side early on, heads start to droop and before long they’re circling the drain. Leeds played with verve and vim throughout the season.”
Leeds’ results since 1 December have been remarkable. For a newly promoted side, they have the seventh-best record in the division over 22 games, with fewer defeats than every team except Manchester City, Manchester United, Bournemouth, and Arsenal (with whom they are level at four losses).
Meanwhile, the Championship playoff second leg between Millwall and Hull is ongoing. After three halves of football over four days, no goals have been scored. Daniel Harris is following the match.
Half Time: Tottenham 0-0 Leeds
45+5 mins: The first half ends with Spurs having 61.7% possession and 10 of 13 shots, but they need to improve shot quality.
45+4 mins: Tel, who has had mixed moments this half, attempts a cross from the left that is easily caught by Darlow.
45+2 mins: An offside decision is confirmed by VAR. Leeds appeal for a penalty after Calvert-Lewin is played through by Tanaka and appears to be pulled back by Udogie, but the flag is raised for offside.
45 mins: Leeds appeal for a penalty, but the offside flag is raised after Calvert-Lewin’s run.
43 mins: Tel is fouled on the Spurs left by Stach, who briefly stands on his foot. Tel reacts with pain and wins a free-kick.
41 mins: Danso receives a yellow card for a slow, mistimed tackle on Aaronson.
40 mins: Tanaka lets a ball run across his body near the Spurs area, then falls while attempting to reach it, shooting wide.
39 mins: Spurs have taken six corners tonight, above their season average of five per match. Bentancur heads one wide.
36 mins: Joao Palhinha has a significant chance after Tel’s cross is headed to the edge of the box. Palhinha cuts onto his left foot and scoops a shot over the bar from about eight yards.
35 mins: Alan Smith comments,
“It’s not going to be a night for free-flowing, attractive football.”
32 mins: Chaos ensues as Darlow is penalized for holding the ball too long, resulting in a Spurs corner. Richarlison misses a good chance, but Porro’s shot is blocked.
32 mins: Leeds have a corner, but Richarlison’s weak shot is saved by Darlow.
31 mins: Kolo Muani sends in a promising low cross from the right, but no Spurs player is near to capitalize.
30 mins: After a third of the match, it resembles a contest between two teams that have struggled near the bottom of the table this season.
28 mins: Danso throws long into the box; Darlow pushes it out, and Gallagher’s volley deflects wide for another corner.
26 mins: Tel cuts into the area, evades defenders Rodon and Tanaka, and has a shot deflected wide.
25 mins: Spurs’ promising start has waned over the last 10 minutes. Justin Kavanagh writes,
“In yet another Premiership match, yet another manager (this time De Zerbi) proves my point that the time has come to put dog collars on errant coaches and pen them into technical zones using invisible fences. This stray-coach nonsense MUST end now, before someone gets hurt.”
23 mins: Stach goes down just outside the Spurs penalty area after being caught by Gallagher, but the referee allows play to continue. Spurs counterattack, ending with Tel struggling on the left wing and losing possession.
21 mins: Leeds earn a corner, which they take short to Aaronson before crossing to Rodon. Rodon’s header is saved by Kinsky.
19 mins: Tel sends a cross into his own penalty area under pressure from James. Danso clears it with a header.
18 mins: Danso dispossesses Aaronson but passes the ball back to him, leading to a foul.
16 mins: Before Tel takes a corner, Porro gives him instructions. The resulting cross is poor and easily cleared.
16 mins: A series of crosses from both sides leads to multiple corners.
14 mins: Palhinha receives the ball 25 yards out amid calls to shoot but instead passes, resulting in no significant chance.
12 mins: The referee cautions De Zerbi for straying from his technical area.
10 mins: Spurs nearly score as Porro sets up Richarlison, but the Brazilian’s touch is delayed, allowing the defense to recover.
9 mins: Kolo Muani’s hand strikes Justin’s face accidentally. No violent intent is observed, and Justin continues after treatment.
8 mins: Leeds’ James Justin receives medical attention for a nosebleed after a ball to the face.
6 mins: Spurs dominate possession early but have yet to create a clear chance.
3 mins: Spurs string together about 20 passes but fail to advance beyond 40 yards from their goal, eventually losing possession.
1 min: Leeds’ early long throw causes some confusion. James crosses again, and Struijk heads wide.
1 min: The match kicks off with Leeds wearing black kits.
The players have entered the stadium. The flag display was modest and partially obscured on TV by graphics.
Pre-Match Comments
Leeds manager Daniel Farke said,
“Of course I’m proud [that Leeds have stayed up]. Fantastic achievement for us. I enjoyed a little bit the feeling yesterday evening when it was confirmed, but there’s an important game for us tonight and for that I am concentrated. I can’t waste 1% of energy to be over-emotional or to be in a good mood, we need to be fully focused tonight.
We have important players missing out today but it’s a chance for some others to shine and hopefully they can grab the opportunity today. They have my faith and I’m sure we can be competitive tonight.”
Tottenham’s Kevin Danso commented,
“To win always does the team good. We need the same today as we’ve shown the past two games and if we continue to do so we can get the three points today.”
On Roberto De Zerbi’s impact, Danso added,
“Tweaks in everything. The mentality, buildup, the way we defend. He’s a fantastic manager, he’s proven it at many clubs, it’s just down to us to do what he asks on the pitch.”
De Zerbi spoke to Sky Sports, saying,
“We played very well in Birmingham [beating Aston Villa 2-1], and I think the whole idea was to keep the same first XI. But I’m lucky also on the bench I have good players.
We have to forget the last two wins. We have to keep just the same spirit, the same style of play, because we need to play football if we want another win tonight. And to be positive, but we can’t forget what the situation was two weeks ago.”
Asked if Leeds’ safety might ease his team’s task, De Zerbi replied,
“Nothing changes, especially in the Premier League. You see Burnley against Villa yesterday – all games are very tough. To win we have to play our best, to fight, to run, to work, but to play according to our qualities. For sure, the first 10 minutes we have to start strong to [keep] the fans with us. But we have to play 90 minutes and extra time, because we are not in a condition to think we can close the game inside 90 minutes.”
Team Line-Ups
Tottenham Hotspur: Kinsky, Porro, Danso, Van de Ven, Udogie, Joao Palhinha, Bentancur, Muani, Gallagher, Tel, Richarlison.
Subs: Austin, Dragusin, Bissouma, Maddison, Gray, Bergvall, Spence, Sarr, Souza.
Leeds United: Darlow, Justin, Rodon, Bijol, Struijk, Stach, Ampadu, Tanaka, James, Calvert-Lewin, Aaronson.
Subs: Lucas Perri, Longstaff, Piroe, Nmecha, Bornauw, Byram, Gnonto, Chadwick, Lienou.
Referee: Jarred Gillett.
Context and Stakes
Following Arsenal’s victory over West Ham yesterday, Leeds United have secured their Premier League status for another season. Freed from relegation pressure, they visit Tottenham, one of the two remaining clubs battling to avoid the drop.
Tottenham, having won their last two league matches away from home, sit one point above West Ham with a superior goal difference and one game in hand. A win tonight could significantly increase West Ham’s relegation risk, as they would need to win both remaining fixtures while Spurs fail to secure points.
Upcoming fixtures for the teams are as follows:
- Tottenham: 19 May vs Chelsea (away), 24 May vs Everton (home)
- West Ham: 17 May vs Newcastle (away), 24 May vs Leeds (home)
- Leeds: 17 May vs Brighton (home), 24 May vs West Ham (away)
Pre-Match Feature: Antonin Kinsky
David Hytner highlights the remarkable comeback of Tottenham goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky. After a difficult Champions League match against Atlético Madrid in March, it was assumed Kinsky might not play again for Spurs this season or even the next, possibly requiring a loan or permanent transfer.
However, with first-choice goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario undergoing hernia surgery in late March, manager Roberto De Zerbi has relied on Kinsky for four matches, and the Czech has performed admirably, inspiring the team.
