Leeds United saw their 24-match unbeaten home run come to an end on Saturday, falling 2-1 to Tottenham Hotspur despite dominating large stretches of the game. Daniel Farke’s side created the better chances but were punished for their wastefulness, as Spurs struck twice with the help of deflections off Pascal Struijk.
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Mathys Tel’s opener and Mohammed Kudus’ second-half strike sandwiched Noah Okafor’s equaliser, handing Leeds their first home league defeat since September 2024 against Burnley. Joe Rodon had earlier hit the post for the hosts, while Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Sean Longstaff, Joel Piroe and Okafor all went close, only to be denied by a combination of wayward finishing and strong saves from Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario.
After the match, Farke admitted his overriding feeling was “disappointment,” but praised the performance of his players.
“Nearly congratulations to the lads for this performance,” said the Leeds boss. “We were the better side today in all aspects – more possession, more shots, more big chances – but football is decided by goals. We should have scored three or four today, but it was not to be.”
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Farke pointed to costly mistakes in both halves that led to Tottenham’s goals, with both efforts finding the net via heavy deflections.
“At this level, each little mistake is punished,” he added. “It’s tough for my lads because Spurs scored two goals out of nothing.”
Despite the result, the German coach believes Leeds’ displays are trending in the right direction, even if recent matches against Newcastle, Fulham and Bournemouth have yielded fewer points than deserved.
Spurs boss Thomas Frank praised his team’s resilience and Vicario’s key saves, while also acknowledging Leeds’ quality.
“I think Leeds were very good today, very brave on the ball and difficult to play against,” he said. “We had to survive at the end, but that’s also part of building a strong team.”
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The defeat leaves Leeds heading into the international break frustrated but encouraged by their overall performance, while Tottenham continue to cement their place near the top of the Premier League table.