There is plenty of work left to do, but the tenor has changed significantly for Tottenham Hotspur. It always felt like earning a singular win could finally turn the tides, and Roberto De Zerbi has now claimed two straight victories at the most crucial of moments. Yes, a lame duck Wolves side and a heavily rotated/demotivated Villa are not the strongest of opponents, but plenty of other lower sides have been too difficult for Spurs this season.
De Zerbi cannot let Leeds United fall into that bucket.
An impressive run of form has removed Leeds from the relegation battle, but they could have a substantial impact on the race with contests remaining against both Tottenham and West Ham. This was the fixture circled weeks ago that absolutely must result in three points; anything less would (again) drain the goodwill from the past two weekends.
Match Details
Date: Monday, May 11
Time: 3:00 pm ET, 8:00 pm UK
Location: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London
TV: USA Network (US), Sky Sports Premier League (UK)
Knock on wood, but this is the opponent Spurs have arguably fared best against over the past six seasons. After a split in 2020/21, Tottenham swept the fixtures in each of the next two campaigns before Leeds were sent down. The reverse fixture this season saw the visitors win 2-1 at Elland Road, with Mathys Tel and Mohammed Kudus the goalscorers back in October.
Bring the effort
Leeds are unbeaten in six, outscoring their past four opponents 10-4. Spurs do not need to get into a firefight, as the available attackers are unlikely to open the floodgates and put up a gaudy number. What those players can do, however, is lead from the front with intensity, bringing the pressure that frustrated Villa and force turnovers through an impressive work rate.
This fits right into the current ethos of the squad. Without prolific scorers or essentially any creative options, De Zerbi must win through physicality, perhaps not his default preference. Tottenham seems up for the task, specifically in the midfield, where Rodrigo Bentancur, Joao Palhinha, and Conor Gallagher have looked ready to do whatever it takes, contributing goals of their own and breaking up countless attacks coming their way.
Monday will be a good test against a Leeds side that is no slouch in the middle of the park. The visitors will cede possession and force Spurs to find a way through, while being more than capable of springing counters when the moment allows. De Zerbi does not have a ton of alternatives, but I assume he rolls with what has worked the past two contests; the fate of the season might rest in his squad’s ability to turn industriousness into some sort of production.
Weekly Intangibles Update
Sunday brought mixed results for Tottenham supporters as Arsenal inches towards finally winning a title, but West Ham slumped further. The aforementioned contest against Leeds should be conservatively considered a win, but next weekend’s trip to Newcastle — which again happens before Spurs take the pitch — could now be the difference.
Anything other than a win at St James’ Park would cap West Ham at 40 points. That means Spurs could theoretically only need three more points to lock this thing up, though that of course would not be known until next Sunday. That should not impact how the team treats this contest against Leeds, but dropping points Monday could be devastating in hindsight.
Predicting the future is foolish, but with just three matches left it is pointless to do anything other than stare at the table and play through all the scenarios. It is quite possible that a Spurs win against Leeds would mean that a draw against Chelsea secures safety. It is also possible no points at all would be needed, which seemed impossible a couple weeks ago. For either of those scenarios to happen, Tottenham must take all three points Monday — the rest may work itself out.
