Tottenham vs Leeds: Antonio Conte and Co., came back from a goal down and picked up all three points with a 2-1 win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday.
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Daniel James gave Leeds a 1-0 lead just before halftime, but Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Sergio Reguilon were the unlikely goal-scorers who hit back to snap Tottenham’s three-game winless skid in the Premier League.
The victory sends Tottenham (19 points) 7th in the Premier League table, one point behind rivals Arsenal in 5th and four behind rivals West Ham United in 4th. Leeds, meanwhile, sit 17th, two points clear of the relegation zone, after Aston Villa and Watford won on Saturday.
Tottenham vs Leeds final score final score, stats, results
Final score: Tottenham 2, Leeds 1
Goal scorers: Tottenham (Hojbjerg 58', Reguilon 69'), Leeds (James 44')
Shots: Tottenham 12, Leeds 18
Shots on target: Tottenham 4, Leeds 7
Possession: Tottenham 44%, Leeds 56%
3 things we learned - Tottenham vs Leeds
1. Chance creation still a real labor for Spurs: Tottenham have struggled to create and convert scoring chances in recent weeks months since Mauricio Pochettino left in 2019, and that’s a chief worry among Tottenham supporters, that as good of a coach as Antonio Conte is defensively, he won’t be the one to return Spurs to exhilarating attacking football. The streak ended at 273 minutes, with Harry Kane’s effort saved by Illan Meslier seconds into the second half.
261 mins now since #THFC had a PL shot on target. That's 4hr 21min.
— Charlie Eccleshare (@CDEccleshare) November 21, 2021
2. Midfield is Spurs’ biggest problem area: As bad as the defenders have been individually for Tottenham this season, it’s the midfield that has put the backline under undue pressure for far too long under managers who pick two and three defensive midfielders in the starting lineup. Tottenham’s inability to retain possession of the ball and progress it toward the opposition goal, instead giving it away cheaply in the middle third of the field because there’s not a technically proficient playmaker in sight, has not only crippled the side’s chances going forward, but made life immeasurably more difficult for the likes of Eric Dier, Ben Davies and Japhet Tanganga (yes, that’s the back-three that started on Sunday).
3. Leeds’ influence on games waning: For much of last season, Leeds felt like a side that expected to control and dictate the tempo and terms of just about every game they played. They were a confident bunch with slightly radical ideas that made opponents uncomfortable. Toward the end of the season, however, and certainly through 12 games to start the 2020-21 Premier League campaign, there has been an air of resignation to their performances, that the opponent knows how Leeds want to play and there’s nothing Marcelo Bielsa’s side can do to combat that. Danny Higginbotham put it rather succinctly.
As always with Bielsa plan B is always to do plan A better. Only change you ever see in system is if opposition play with a front 2 Leeds go to a back 3
— Danny Higginbotham (@Higginbotham05) November 21, 2021
Man of the Match: Lucas Moura - The Brazilian got the assist on Spurs’ equalizer, and he seems to have taken to Conte’s tactics quite well. He was a constant threat in the channels when Kane dropped deeper and looked to pick out passes. Highly functional, never spectacular.
Tottenham vs Leeds final score, highlights
Daniel James gets on the end of Jack Harrison’s cross for 1-0 (goal video)
The lack of pressure from Tottenham out wide, coupled with the poor marking inside the penalty area, and Spurs fully deserved to concede just before halftime.
Son Heung-min shot deflected, hits crossbar but won’t go in (video)
When the football gods are against you to this degree, there can be no hope.
DEFLECTED OFF THE CROSSBAR!#TOTLEE #MyPLMorning pic.twitter.com/EbWMYjiZDH
— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) November 21, 2021
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Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg pulls Tottenham level (goal video)
Moura did fantastically well to fetch the ball and remain composed on the edge of the six-yard box, to turn and find Hojbjerg making the late-arriving run. The finish was hardly easy, with plenty of obstacles to miss.
Sergio Reguilon pokes home the rebound to make it 2-1 (goal video)
Dier’s free kick took a deflection off the wall and struck the inside of Meslier’s left-hand post, but the ball bounced straight to Reguilon between the penalty spot and the six-yard box for the follow-up.