EPL: Kudus fires Spurs into second with 2-1 win at Leeds
As Storm Amy unleashed torrential rain and ferocious winds on Elland Road in the second half, Spurs displayed remarkable resilience. They ultimately snatched a dramatic winner thanks to Kudus' deflected shot, handing Leeds their first home league defeat in over a year.
Manager Frank highlighted the crucial role of team spirit. "Our character was the bedrock," he explained. "To come here, navigate the less-than-perfect moments, and maintain our focus—that was key. We truly needed this win... the feeling of getting those three points and crossing the finish line was immense."
This victory brings Spurs to within a single point of league leaders Liverpool, although Arsenal had the chance to go top later on Saturday when hosting West Ham.
Interestingly, Tottenham had faced recent challenges, needing late comebacks just last week to avoid defeats against bottom-placed Wolves and Champions League newcomers Bodo/Glimt. Frank’s decision to make six changes from the squad that played in the Arctic Circle on Tuesday certainly paid off, as the visitors delivered a far more assertive performance.
However, Leeds will undoubtedly be left ruing a string of missed opportunities that could have prevented their first league loss at Elland Road since September 2024 against Burnley. Despite the result, Leeds boss Daniel Farke remained philosophical. "You can accept a defeat when it's against a top side like Tottenham," he remarked. "I'm still pleased with our performance. If we continue to play like this, we'll be in good shape by the season's end."
Early in the game, Joe Rodon nearly put the home side ahead, heading Sean Longstaff’s free-kick against the post after just seven minutes.
Meanwhile, Tel, who hadn't quite found his stride since his permanent move from Bayern Munich and was left out of Spurs' Champions League squad, was given a rare start in the central attacking role. He seized the opportunity, netting his first goal of the season. Kudus set him up, and Tel's powerful strike took a deflection off Pascal Struijk, leaving goalkeeper Karl Darlow with no chance.
The game continued with end-to-end action. Dominic Calvert-Lewin squandered a golden opportunity to equalize, firing wide, before Kudus mirrored him at the other end after a swift Spurs counter-attack carved through the Leeds defense.
Despite Tottenham's lead, Farke's side had played well enough to be at least level by halftime. Tottenham's Guglielmo Vicario might have done better when he parried Brenden Aaronson’s shot directly into the path of Okafor, who tapped it into an empty net for his second Leeds goal. Tel also came agonizingly close to a second, with a looping header that struck the crossbar in first-half stoppage time.
The second half began with the same vibrant, attacking intensity, as Vicario denied Calvert-Lewin with a sharp save using his feet. But it was Kudus who ultimately delivered the decisive moment, embarking on a surging run infield before unleashing another potent shot that, with a deflection off Gabriel Gudmundsson, deceived Darlow.
In stark contrast to last season, where Tottenham famously dropped more points from winning positions than any other Premier League team, finishing a mere 17th, Frank appears to have eradicated that habit. Under his guidance, Spurs have yet to concede points after taking the lead in a match.
The visitors still had to endure a tense moment deep into stoppage time, where Vicario redeemed himself with a superb low save to his left from Joel Piroe, preserving the win.
This defeat leaves Leeds in 12th place, with eight points from their opening seven games.lp
