Kudus’ cool head and Spurs’ steel snap Leeds’ Elland Road streak

On a wet afternoon at Elland Road, Tottenham edged Leeds United 2-1, ending the hosts’ year-long unbeaten home run in the league. Mathys Tel’s deflected strike and Mohammed Kudus’ first goal for Spurs, also via a deflection, bookended Noah Okafor’s equaliser in a contest that ebbed and flowed in front of a ferocious crowd.

Short on creative regulars James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski, Thomas Frank’s side found incision when it mattered and resolve when it was most needed. Spurs maintained their unbeaten away start, climbed to third and within a point of Liverpool, and put midweek stalemates behind them.

Deflections and decisive moments

Leeds flew out of the blocks. In the seventh minute Anton Stach’s teasing free-kick found former Spurs defender Joe Rodon, whose header clipped the outside of the post. Tottenham gradually steadied, and Karl Darlow had to parry a cross-shot from Destiny Udogie after Xavi Simons slipped him into space down the left channel.

The visitors struck first on 23 minutes. Rodrigo Bentancur won possession on halfway and fed Kudus, whose neat pass inside the right channel released Tel. The French forward unleashed from around 20 yards and his strike deflected off Pascal Struijk to wrong-foot Darlow. Leeds almost hit straight back when Dominic Calvert-Lewin blazed over from inside the box, but parity arrived on 34 minutes as Calvert-Lewin held off two defenders to lay off for Brenden Aaronson. Guglielmo Vicario parried Aaronson’s shot and Okafor pounced to turn in the rebound.

Kudus the catalyst in the rain

As the rain lashed down after the interval, Spurs’ marquee summer signing tilted the game again. Kudus drifted across the top of the area and guided a low left-foot shot toward the far corner; a second nick off the unfortunate Struijk again left Darlow stranded as Tottenham restored their lead.

Kudus’ broader performance underlined his impact. His assist for Tel was his fourth of the league campaign, joint-most in the division so far this season, and he added his maiden Spurs goal. He contested a game-high 19 duels and won 10, completing all six of his dribbles — the best 100% success by a Tottenham player in a Premier League match since Tanguy Ndombele in March 2021. Tel remained lively throughout and, on the stroke of half-time, met Wilson Odobert’s cross with a header that smacked the bar.

Leeds’ late surge meets Vicario’s resistance

Leeds shaded possession before the break and carried that momentum into the second half. Vicario used his legs to block a low Calvert-Lewin effort, and a whipped Stach delivery sliced across the six-yard box without a decisive touch. Tottenham’s counterattacks remained dangerous, but the territorial push belonged to the hosts.

The finale was frantic. Substitute Joël Piroe’s stoppage-time strike seemed bound for the corner until Vicario flung himself to tip it around the post, and Struijk headed over in the ensuing pressure. The numbers reflected the jeopardy — Leeds at 1.66 expected goals to Spurs’ 0.52 — yet Tottenham’s away streak held firm. Their celebrations at full-time matched the significance of a win that followed the gruelling 2-2 draw at Bodo/Glimt earlier in the week.

Note: All match details, quotes, and statistics are drawn strictly from the supplied sources.