Tottenham boss Thomas Frank praised his side’s resilience after a hard-fought 2-1 win at Leeds, with Mohammed Kudus scoring his first goal for the club to send Spurs up to second in the Premier League.
Mathys Tel opened the scoring for Spurs in a frantic first half, before Noah Okafor equalised for Leeds. But as Storm Amy battered Elland Road with wind and rain, Kudus’ deflected strike secured the win and ended Leeds’ unbeaten home league run dating back over a year.
“The character was the foundation,” said Frank. “To come here, stay focused through difficult moments, and get the win—it was big for us.”
Spurs now sit one point behind leaders Liverpool, though Arsenal can reclaim top spot later on Saturday when they face West Ham.
Frank, who made six changes from the midweek Champions League draw at Bodo/Glimt, saw a sharper Spurs performance after recent late fightbacks against Wolves and the Norwegian side.
Leeds, meanwhile, missed key chances and will feel aggrieved to have suffered their first home league defeat since September 2024.
“You can accept losing to a top side like Tottenham,” said Leeds manager Daniel Farke. “I’m still happy with the performance, if we play like this, we’ll be fine.”
Tel, starting in place of rested regulars, put Spurs ahead with a deflected shot after being played in by Kudus. Leeds responded through Okafor, who tapped in after Guglielmo Vicario failed to hold Brenden Aaronson’s effort.
Tel nearly added a second with a looping header off the bar, while Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Kudus both squandered chances at either end in a breathless first half.
Kudus eventually sealed the win after cutting inside and firing a shot that deflected past Karl Darlow via Gabriel Gudmundsson.
Despite late pressure from Leeds, including a stoppage-time save by Vicario to deny Joel Piroe, Spurs held firm—continuing their perfect record when scoring first under Frank.
Leeds remain 12th with eight points from seven games.
AFP
