Spurs vs Leeds: A Crucial Night in the Survival Race

Tottenham Hotspur can take a significant step towards Premier League safety with a win in a crucial Monday night clash against Leeds United at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Spurs finding form at the right time

Despite a turbulent campaign, Tottenham Hotspur are suddenly showing signs of life under Roberto De Zerbi, with back-to-back wins offering a late surge of optimism. After edging bottom side Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-0, Spurs followed up with an impressive 2-1 victory over Aston Villa at Villa Park, where Conor Gallagher and Richarlison made the early difference.

That uptick in form has arrived at the perfect moment. Across the last three weeks, only two Premier League sides have picked up more points, and Spurs now have survival firmly in their own hands, sitting just above West Ham in 17th.

However, home form remains a major concern. Spurs’ last three points at home in the Premier League came against Brentford in December. De Zerbi seems to have the Lillywhite believing though and with recent results going their way, a win against Leeds would extend the gap to four points with just two games remaining.

Leeds secure but still dangerous

For Leeds, the pressure has eased after results elsewhere confirmed their Premier League safety, but Daniel Farke’s side still arrive in North London with momentum of their own.

Recent away performances have been particularly encouraging, including a 2-1 win at Manchester United and a 2-2 draw at AFC Bournemouth, showing they are more than capable of troubling sides on the road.

At home, victories over relegated Wolverhampton Wanderers and Burnley have also steadied their season, in which they also reached the FA Cup semi-final losing to Chelsea 1-0.

Team news

Tottenham will again be without goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, with Roberto De Zerbi confirming the Italian is still not ready following hernia surgery and no clear return date set. In his absence, Antonin Kinsky is expected to continue between the posts after an impressive showing in the win over Aston Villa.

Spurs are also likely to be without Dominic Solanke, who missed that Villa victory with a hamstring issue and is now targeting a possible return against Chelsea rather than featuring here. James Maddison remains a doubt despite being named among the substitutes in recent weeks.

There is better news in midfield, where Rodrigo Bentancur has been cleared of any serious injury concern. He is expected to continue alongside Conor Gallagher and João Palhinha, a trio that has helped Spurs find more balance in recent outings.

In defence, De Zerbi is set to stick with a settled back four of Pedro Porro, Destiny Udogie, Kevin Danso and Micky van de Ven, with captain Cristian Romero sidelined.

For Leeds United, Gabriel Gudmundsson will miss out as he continues his recovery from a hamstring injury, while Noah Okafor is also unavailable due to a calf strain. There are further concerns over Pascal Struijk, who is still struggling with a hip knock and faces a late fitness test.

Despite those issues, Daniel Farke is expected to keep faith with a largely settled side that has secured Premier League survival, with Leeds looking to maintain their recent positive away form.