Spark and steel in the storm: Kudus and Tel power Spurs past Leeds

Tottenham married incision with resilience to beat Leeds United 2-1 at Elland Road, ending the hosts’ year-long home league streak and vaulting into third place. Mathys Tel struck first via a deflection, Noah Okafor levelled, and Mohammed Kudus settled it with his first Spurs goal — also aided by a nick off Pascal Struijk.

Coming off back-to-back draws, including a bruising 2-2 at Bodo/Glimt, and without creative fulcrums James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski, Thomas Frank’s team produced the kind of controlled performance that eluded them last season. They stayed unbeaten away, claimed a third win from four on the road and moved within a point of Liverpool.

Frank’s evolving side keeps its composure

The opening surge belonged to Leeds. On seven minutes Anton Stach’s deep free-kick was met by Joe Rodon, whose header clipped the outside of a post to rouse Elland Road. Spurs absorbed the blast, then began to advance with purpose between the lines.

Xavi Simons slipped Destiny Udogie through to draw a parry from Karl Darlow, and on 23 minutes Rodrigo Bentancur’s ball recovery released Kudus to slide in Tel. The 19-year-old drove at the back line and his fierce 20-yard shot deflected off Struijk beyond Darlow for his first of the season.

Tel takes his chance, Kudus delivers

Chosen ahead of Richarlison and omitted from the Champions League squad for the league phase, Tel grabbed his opening. He was direct and threatening, and he was inches from a second when his header from Wilson Odobert’s cross cannoned off the bar on the stroke of half-time. Even after Leeds drew level — Calvert-Lewin’s strength, Aaronson’s shot, Okafor’s close-range finish after Vicario’s parry — Spurs kept their structure.

Kudus then applied the decisive touch, drifting across the D and steering a low left-footer that flicked off Struijk and left Darlow flat-footed. The £55m signing’s output is already stacking up: four league assists so far (joint-most in the division), now his first Spurs goal, 19 duels contested with 10 won, and all six dribbles completed.

Resilience at the back and the significance of the win

Leeds rallied hard. Vicario used his legs to deny Calvert-Lewin after the interval, Stach’s whipped ball flashed through the six-yard box, and in stoppage time Joël Piroe’s goalbound effort was clawed around a post before Struijk headed over. Spurs threatened on the break but, above all, managed the storm with calm game craft.

The metrics favoured the hosts — Leeds 1.66 xG to Tottenham’s 0.52 — yet the visitors’ street smarts told. This was a third away win from four unbeaten trips, an end to an awkward pre-international-break run, and further proof of the mentality Frank says he is building. The full-time celebrations showed exactly how important it felt.

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