Premier League

TOTTENHAM 1 (Tel 50)
LEEDS UNITED 1 (Calvert-Lewin 74 pen)

WITH just two home wins all season, perhaps it was too much to expect Tottenham to put their fans out of their misery tonight (Monday) and take a giant step towards safety with a victory against Leeds United.

But after Mathys Tel belted home a stunner early in the second half, perhaps the Roberto De Zerbi effect was going to carry them to a vital win.

Instead, Tel turned from hero to zero by conceding a blatant penalty on 74 minutes, which Dominic Calvert-Lewin confidently converted. It gave Leeds a share of the spoils, and leaves Spurs two points ahead of West Ham with just two games of the Premier League season remaining.

Considering Tottenham have to travel to Chelsea next – and have only won once at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League era – the draw does not feel enough, and speaking after the match De Zerbi said the relegation nerves told.

He said: “We played a good game, but not great. We didn’t play calm. We wanted to win immediately, without patience. I’m happy for the attitude, for the mentality.

“We didn’t play well, but fighting relegation is like this. You can’t play all games calm. We have to improve and to change the habits, because fighting relegation is different to fighting for the Champions League.”

De Zerbi insisted that fans could be sure the side would leave everything on the pitch over the next two games and that he felt they had enough to get over the line.

He added: “I’m lucky because I have a lot of good people inside the dressing room. My players are good players and good people. Sensitive people feel the pressure of what we are fighting for, and can suffer like tonight. Now we have to be positive.

“We have to work hard. We have the quality to get points and stay up, I think we deserve to stay up. We’ll fight until the end. When you fight relegation, you have to stay strong, not with the legs but with the head. And to push until the end.”

Spurs had won back-to-back games for the first time since the very start of the season and were hoping to put a little bit of breathing space between themselves and West Ham with the last relegation spot to be decided.

De Zerbi was able to name an unchanged side – another rarity this season – and also had a strong bench. There was even a pre-match suggestion doing the rounds in the press box that James Maddison might get a cameo at some point, for what would be his first appearance this season. He would get some minutes late on, and nearly earned a penalty with the game at 1-1.

In a first half bereft of clear chances, Tottenham tried to win through sheer will power and brute force. Tel was a constant danger, Richarlison fought for everything, and Joao Palhinha and Pedro Porro saw shots fly high or wide.

But while the effort was there, unlike the victory last time out against Aston Villa, the composure was distinctly lacking. Perhaps playing at a ground where the side have been so poor all season upped the tension on the players: whatever the reason, Spurs were excellent in fighting for everything, but not so good and dictating a tempo or, when they went in front, calming things down.

On 50 minutes, the home side showed fight and resilience to earn themselves a corner. It was spun in and cleared, but only as far as Tel, who set his sights and fired in a beautifully placed curler.

But Tel’s night went disastrously wrong on 74. It was his attempt at an overhead kick of a clearance, catching Ethan Ampadu in the head, that saw Leeds earn the penalty to make it one each.

Spurs threw the kitchen sink at Leeds to get back in front, while at the other end, a world class save from Antonin Kinsky late on saved De Zerbi’s side, the keeper diverting Sean Longstaff’s shot on to the bar.

With two games left, Tottenham still have it all to do.

Tottenham: Kinsky, Porro, Danso, Van de Ven, Udogie (Spence, 85), Palhinha, Bentancur (Bergvall, 81), Gallagher, Kolo Muani, Tel (Maddison, 85), Richarlison
Substitutes not used: Austin, Dragusin, Bissouma, Gray, Spence, Sarr, Souza

Leeds United: Darlow, Rodon, Bijol, Struijk (Bornauw, 56), Justin, Tanaka (Longstaff, 90+3), Stach, Ampadu, James (Gnonto, 63), Aaronson (Nmecha, 62), Calvert-Lewin
Substitutes not used: Lucas Perri, Piroe, Byram, Chadwick, Lienou