Tottenham vs Leeds – News and Probable Lineups

A thrilling encounter at the lower end of the table concludes Premier League gameweek 36, as Tottenham Hotspur takes on Leeds United at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Monday evening.

The Lilywhites are aiming for their first three consecutive top-flight victories this campaign, while their Yorkshire rivals would secure mathematical safety with their 11th win of the season.

Match overview

Survival experts Sean Dyche and Sam Allardyce might have answered the phone if Spurs had reached out, but the hosts decided to take a risk on the long-term strategy of Roberto De Zerbi, and that gamble is – dare it be said – starting to pay dividends.

Over gameweeks 33, 34, and 35, only two clubs accumulated more Premier League points than the Europa League champions, who rebounded from the disappointment of their draw against Brighton & Hove Albion with two hard-fought wins in the West Midlands.

After securing their first Premier League victory of 2026 against Wolverhampton Wanderers, Spurs took advantage of Aston Villa’s Europa League distraction with a well-deserved 2-1 win at Villa Park, where Conor Gallagher and Richarlison found the net within the first 25 minutes.

Tottenham also benefited from Brentford’s support against West Ham United and kick off the weekend with their future in their own hands, positioned 17th in the Premier League table with a one-point cushion over the Irons.

West Ham could jump ahead of the Lilywhites with an unexpected win over Arsenal on Sunday. In this scenario, Tottenham supporters might have to set aside their North London rivalry for a few hours, as their team could be four points clear of the relegation zone with two games left in this gameweek’s ideal scenario.

However, the hosts’ dismal home record of 11 points from 17 matches may not carry much weight on Monday, as De Zerbi’s influence is supported by the statistics; his Spurs side wins possession in the final third an average of 5.3 times per match, the highest number for any manager who has overseen 4 or more games in the 2025-26 Premier League.

Leeds’ progress has been evident over recent months rather than just recent games, and Daniel Farke’s side could even secure their Premier League status before stepping onto the pitch on Monday evening.

With a seven-point cushion over West Ham and three fixtures left, the Whites can avoid relegation if the Irons lose to Arsenal on Sunday; otherwise, they merely need to match or surpass West Ham’s outcome to ensure their survival.

Monday’s visitors are in a highly favorable position, as no team has ever been relegated from the Premier League with 43 points, 10 of which they have achieved in their last four encounters.

Recovering from the FA Cup semi-final disappointment inflicted by Chelsea at Wembley, Leeds secured a 3-1 victory over relegation-threatened Burnley a fortnight ago, with Anton Stach, Noah Okafor, and Dominic Calvert-Lewin contributing to extend their unbeaten Premier League streak to six matches.

Farke’s squad has also remained undefeated in their last six league outings away from home, even though they would already be safe if they could transform draws into victories on the road, having recorded an astonishing eight stalemates from their last ten in the top tier.

The Whites were narrowly defeated 2-1 by Tottenham at Elland Road in October, which marked Spurs’ fifth straight Premier League win over Monday’s visitors, a run that includes a thrilling 4-3 home victory in late 2022.

Team News

Tottenham has faced a few common injury concerns at Villa Park, where Rodrigo Bentancur and Richarlison had to leave the pitch, but both players are expected to be available for Monday’s match.

However, the contest may come too soon for Dominic Solanke (hamstring), while Guglielmo Vicario (hernia), Dejan Kulusexi (knee), Wilson Odobert (knee), Ben Davies (ankle), Mohammed Kudus (thigh), Xavi Simons (knee), and Cristian Romero (knee) remain sidelined.

After being an unused substitute for the past two matches, James Maddison might be poised for his first minutes of the season against Leeds, although these would almost certainly come off the bench.

On the other hand, Leeds’ Farke delivered disappointing news during his pre-match press conference, informing that key attacker Okafor sustained a calf injury and will miss the next two fixtures.

The Swiss international was looking to capitalize on a remarkable record of seven goal contributions in his last seven Premier League appearances, including six goals – averaging one every 68 minutes.

Lukas Nmecha and Brenden Aaronson will vie to fill in for Okafor, who is joined in the treatment room by Gabriel Gudmundsson (thigh) and Ilia Gruev (knee), while Pascal Struijk (hip) could be available for selection.

Tottenham Hotspur probable starting XI:

Kinski; Porro, Danso, Van de Ven, Udogie; Bentancur, Palhinha; Kolo Muani, Gallagher, Tel; Richarlison

Leeds United probable starting XI:

Darlow; Bijol, Struijk, Rodon; Bogle, Stach, Tanaka, Ampadu, Justin; Aaronson, Calvert-Lewin

Before the onset of gameweek 36, Leeds’ Okafor held the best minutes-per-goal ratio among Premier League players who had featured for at least 200 minutes since February 1, making his absence on Monday potentially damaging for the Whites.

Nevertheless, the absence of Simons, Romero, Kulusexi, and others has not significantly hindered a Tottenham team playing with increased intensity and conviction, and it’s conceivable that the De Zerbi-led Lilywhites will inch closer to survival with another critical three points.