Tottenham missed a major chance to ease relegation fears after a tense 1-1 draw with Leeds United, as Roberto De Zerbi felt the pressure of the situation weighed heavily on the players. The result left Tottenham fans anxious at full-time, despite the team moving slightly further away from immediate danger.
De Zerbi accepted that Tottenham did not handle the occasion well, even if the performance had some positives. The head coach stressed that the group must respond better in difficult moments, with two Premier League matches still to play in this survival battle.
The point moves Tottenham two points ahead of West Ham, who lost 1-0 to Arsenal on Sunday when Callum Wilson saw a late goal disallowed. According to the Opta supercomputer, Spurs now have an 18.7% chance of relegation, while West Ham’s likelihood stands at 81.3%, underlining the scale of the pressure on both clubs.
De Zerbi underlined the need to analyse both the scoreline and the display, pointing to recent improvement in results. “I think we have to consider the result but we have to consider the performance,” De Zerbi added on the importance of gaining a point over the Hammers. “We played a good game, we are making points, in the last four games we made eight points.”
Mathys Tel had a decisive and mixed evening for Tottenham, playing a direct role in both goals. After a tight first half, Tel broke the deadlock on 50 minutes, taking one touch then bending a superb shot into the top-right corner. However, Tel later gave away a penalty for a high boot on Ethan Ampadu.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin converted that penalty with composure, levelling the match and shifting the atmosphere inside the stadium. Tel thereby became the first Tottenham player to score and concede a penalty in one Premier League match since Robbie Keane did so against Bolton Wanderers in February 2007, further highlighting the dramatic nature of the contest.
There were more tense moments for Tottenham late on, with Leeds threatening a winner in stoppage time. Goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky reacted sharply to tip a powerful Sean Longstaff effort onto the crossbar, preserving the draw. Earlier in the match, Kinsky also denied Joe Rodon with a smart save from a close-range header, keeping Tottenham in the game.
De Zerbi felt the pressure of the relegation fight affected decision-making as Leeds grew stronger after their equaliser. “We didn’t play a great game. We played a good game,” De Zerbi told BBC Match of the Day. “I think we deserved to win anyway, but maybe the pressure, the crucial game, the crucial part of the season, we suffered too much.”
The Italian coach still highlighted the attitude shown by the players, while acknowledging the number of errors. “Anyway, I am happy because I watched my players with the right spirit, with the right mentality. We made too many mistakes. If we want to win we have to reduce the mistakes, but we knew before this game it wouldbe tough until the end of the season. It is tough for us and tough for everyone.”
De Zerbi also praised Leeds for their approach to the match, especially with safety already secured. “Congratulations to Leeds, they played a great game, they have to play the last game at West Ham and we’ve no doubt that they will play the same way.” Tottenham now rely on maintaining focus while West Ham still face Leeds, adding another twist to the relegation picture.
Tottenham vs Leeds: league form and Leeds unbeaten run
Leeds entered the match with Premier League survival already confirmed before kick-off, yet the performance did not reflect a relaxed side. Daniel Farke’s team are now unbeaten in seven league fixtures, with three wins and four draws, matching their longest such run in this campaign and showing consistent resilience against varied opponents.
Farke put this strong spell down to attitude rather than individual talent, stressing the demands on a promoted squad. “We are a promoted side, so we won’t win games in this league because of our quality,” Farke said. “We also need a top fitness level, a top game plan. We need to be versatile in the tactical approach, and we can play a three-man or four-man formation, change during the game too.”
Farke outlined the mentality required to compete week after week in the top flight. “This is what you need to do. You need to showresilience, mental strength and togetherness. I can’tremember apart from the Arsenal game where we were not competitive. During the long season there are sometimes games that you don’t win just with quality football-wise.”
The Leeds head coach also described the challenges around this specific Tottenham vs Leeds fixture, including selection problems. “Of course, it was a difficult game. Tottenham were highly motivated with back-to-back wins. The stadium was on it. For us, the big pressure was off us with the results, but it was a difficult week, we had to play without many key players and also, during the game, some setbacks.”
The draw leaves Tottenham still under threat yet holding a narrow advantage over West Ham, aided by eight points from the last four games. Leeds extend their unbeaten sequence and demonstrate strong defensive and mental qualities, while both De Zerbi and Farke emphasise attitude, structure and error reduction as crucial in the closing stages of the season.
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