How Tottenham missed a perfect opportunity to relieve relegation pressure against Leeds

[p][b][a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/38twwfvYYMCpSq3iK9QQEK?si=WSGqo-PZQc2YLo-VUYC7lA&nd=1&dlsi=cbb39c075ff54998"]You can listen to this article via Spotify[/a][/b].[/p][p]Beat the Whites, and it would then require [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/west-ham/Cxq57r8g/"]West Ham[/a] to win both their remaining games and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/tottenham/UDg08Ohm/"]Spurs[/a] to lose both of theirs for the Lilywhites to plummet into the Championship.[/p][h2]Win would put Tottenham in the box seat to avoid the drop[/h2][p]Any other result would hand the Hammers a potential lifeline, with 180 minutes of top-flight football left to play in the 2025/26 season.[/p][p]Although the hosts had got the better of their visitors recently, winning their last five encounters and eight of the last nine, and were on a three-game unbeaten run under [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/de-zerbi-roberto/pYizckpN/"]Roberto De Zerbi[/a], they'd only won two league games at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium all season, and hadn't earned all three points in N17 since December (nine EPL games), so playing in front of their own fans had become something of a millstone around their collective necks to say the least.[/p][image alt="Tottenham and Leeds - Current standings (after Monday night's game)" id="d5d86864-1b3d-41b8-8bc5-5268bede6941" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="b956399f-3ef8-4edc-a59a-049dbdd760f4" original-width="1200" original-height="1200" /][p]The Italian had named an unchanged XI from the one which beat [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/aston-villa/W00wmLO0/"]Aston Villa[/a], with top scorer, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/richarlison/K82Dz773/"]Richarlison[/a], making his 100th Premier League appearance for the club.[/p][p]A cagey start from both sides was perhaps to be expected, and whilst Spurs dominated possession in the opening 15 minutes, retaining the ball 68% of the time, there was only an off-target header from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/leeds/tUxUbLR2/"]Leeds[/a]' [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/struijk-pascal/dQgXn8kR/"]Pascal Struijk[/a] to show for any attacking intent from both sides.[/p][h2]Superb passing from both teams[/h2][p]Despite a lack of goalmouth incidents, the crisp and accurate passing from two sides at the wrong end of the table still made this a watchable game.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/van-de-ven-micky/rotN6HH8/"]Micky van de Ven[/a]'s authority at the back for Spurs, where he'd go on to win five of his seven one-on-one exchanges, make eight clearances, win back possession on seven occasions and post an incredible 97.4% pass completion stat, evidenced that the Dutchman was well up for the battle royale that unfolded across the 90 minutes.[/p][image alt="Tottenham v Leeds - Player ratings" id="494fa0d8-3355-4226-a4e0-f584323ab2fb" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="a072d004-ff95-49cc-81c6-ea30a609ca07" original-width="1200" original-height="1200" /][p]In practice, that meant that even though over 40% of the game was being played in the Tottenham defensive third with half an hour played, it was the hosts who had the better chances, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tel-mathys/drANB1N8/"]Mathys Tel[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gallagher-conor/dtbJO8B3/"]Conor Gallagher[/a] both having efforts blocked.[/p][p]Indeed, Leeds' backs were against the wall leading into the break as all of Richarlison (twice), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/porro-pedro/nTebDzHC/"]Pedro Porro[/a] (twice), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bentancur-rodrigo/nLRMnJtJ/"]Rodrigo Bentancur[/a] (twice), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/palhinha-joao/vFArGMai/"]Joao Palhinha[/a] and Gallagher all saw efforts either blocked, cleared off the line or off target.[/p][h2]Rodon hits the post[/h2][p]In amongst all of those chances, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rodon-joe/vskyBpSR/"]Joe Rodon[/a] had actually come the closest of anyone to opening the scoring as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/aaronson-brendan/0GqS59FE/"]Brenden Aaronson[/a] sent over a 21st-minute cross which Rodon met powerfully, only to see his effort hit the base of the post and drop gratefully into the arms of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kinsky-antonin/hv1U4aGj/"]Antonin Kinsky[/a].[/p][p]One of the four saves the custodian made on the night would've given him the confidence he was lacking after his abysmal outing against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/atl-madrid/jaarqpLQ/"]Atletico Madrid[/a] earlier this year.[/p][embed guid="a0b13458-63f7-4785-ab32-4e886dbf2114" url="https://x.com/seanlongstaff97/status/2053970929160458443" social-type="twitter" /][p]Much of the reason for Spurs' inability to get ahead in the game was down to the industry of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/justin-james/vqYXNUDI/"]James Justin[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tanaka-ao/4lYAoXQu/"]Ao Tanaka[/a] in particular.[/p][p]The former's winning of five of his six one-on-ones, coupled with Tanaka's 100% showing in this regard, not to mention [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/stach-anton/h8i6ur8L/"]Anton Stach[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ampadu-ethan/bH6VQUwF/"]Ethan Ampadu[/a]'s success (two successful duels from three attempted each), was making life difficult for the hosts.[/p][h2]Tel raises the roof with a spectacular finish[/h2][p]So difficult in fact, that one could feel the tension emanating from the stands as the clock ticked on.[/p][p]Bentancur was at least putting himself about a bit, and his four tackles before the break were the most of any player on the pitch.[/p][embed guid="fa8da108-9c9e-4bc3-bfbf-4c231b6ec323" url="https://x.com/SpursOfficial/status/2054132139088613876" social-type="twitter" /][p]By contrast, Aaronson had attempted just four passes in the half, with him and his Leeds colleagues perhaps conditioned by the game being an end-of-season match, which meant little to them.[/p][p]Not long into the second half, a wonderful finish from Mathys Tel, one of only three Tottenham shots on target in the game, gave the hosts something to hold on to.[/p][h2]Calvert-Lewin silences the home support[/h2][p]With Leeds not having won any of their last 13 games when conceding the opening goal, the omens were therefore good for the North Londoners.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/maddison-james/YwP0q0m8/"]Daniel Farke[/a]'s demeanour on the touchline spoke volumes, and well it might, given that it was an 11th goal conceded in the first 15 minutes of the second half this season for Leeds, with only [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/fulham/69ZiU2Om/"]Fulham[/a] (13) having conceded more in the 25/26 campaign.[/p][embed guid="f6c6667c-c429-4b97-a9d1-500a2f2f25d6" url="https://x.com/LUFC/status/2053973430412914722" social-type="twitter" /][p]His response was to make three substitutions around the hour mark, and that soon paid dividends as they saw 84% of the ball over the next 15 minutes, during which a rare attack only ended when Ampadu was kicked in the face by an unaware Tel, giving the visitors a penalty.[/p][p]When [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/calvert-lewin-dominic/0WmBe6U2/"]Dominic Calvert-Lewin[/a] smashed the ball home from the spot, the silence all around the stadium was deafening.[/p][h2]16 minutes of stoppage time[/h2][p]This didn't stop Tottenham from believing, however, and with both Richarlison and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kolo-muani-randal/WKBRZ6Y6/"]Randal Kolo Muani[/a] hitting double digits for duels attempted, the hosts were still defending from the front in the latter stages.[/p][p]An incredible 16 minutes of injury time and the return after a year out injured for James Maddison brightened the mood amongst supporters, though Leeds could've won it in the 99th minute if [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/longstaff-sean/tWOTr142/"]Sean Longstaff[/a]'s shot that hit the underside of the crossbar, thanks to an incredible reflex save from Kinsky, had bounced back over the line.[/p][image alt="Tottenham v Leeds - Match stats" id="c71858a3-e2a2-47e8-9de5-7b3a1f65c163" credit-line="Opta by Stats Perform" guid="c2256aa4-b3b5-4f27-93b3-d92ac63ce9d7" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p]Once the whistle sounded for the end of the game, one couldn't help but think that this was a huge opportunity missed by the Lilywhites.[/p][p]Though they still retain the advantage in the race to stay up, they do have to go to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/chelsea/4fGZN2oK/"]Chelsea[/a] and host [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/everton/KluSTr9s/"]Everton[/a], in the hope of getting better results against two teams looking to qualify for European football, than West Ham's challenge of playing [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/newcastle-utd/p6ahwuwJ/"]Newcastle[/a] and Leeds - two sides that have nothing to play for.[/p][image alt="Jason Pettigrove" id="2bbc3a3f-12fd-4c25-a888-fb6bf931a8bd" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="d4d5d164-b36e-4f86-9a05-92408d2f9851" original-width="1200" original-height="380" /]