Leeds vs Tottenham – News and Probable Lineups

A rejuvenated Tottenham Hotspur squad visits Elland Road to face a Leeds United team struggling for form in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.

The last encounter between these sides ended in a stalemate in May, with Mathys Tel scoring first before Dominic Calvert-Lewin equalized from the penalty spot, resulting in a 1-1 draw in North London.

Match overview

After a promising opening to their season, gathering eight points from their first four fixtures (W2 D2), Leeds have now entered a winless streak of five matches (D3 L2) and have dropped to 12th position in the Premier League standings.

The Whites fell to a 2-0 defeat against Bournemouth, adding to their difficulties which also includes a 2-1 loss to the reigning champions Arsenal, as well as draws against struggling clubs Crystal Palace, Manchester United, and Sunderland.

Head coach Daniel Farke, who reached a preliminary agreement for a contract extension last month, has sought to allay concerns regarding Leeds’ winless streak, emphasizing that his team is remaining calm and confident while aiming to promptly secure the 40-point safety threshold.

Leeds will be pleased to return to Elland Road, where they are currently unbeaten in their last eight league matches (W4 D4); they are among only four Premier League teams not to have faced defeat at home thus far this season alongside Arsenal, Brighton, and Hull.

However, the Whites have only accrued five points over their last 13 top-flight meetings with Tottenham, suffering 10 defeats in that stretch, while they haven’t kept a clean sheet in their last 16 encounters against the North London club—the last time Leeds achieved this was with a 1-0 victory back in February 2000.

After starting the Premier League season winless in six matches, Tottenham has since found their form under Roberto De Zerbi, recording three consecutive victories against Coventry, Chelsea, and Crystal Palace.

Tottenham kickstarted their campaign with a 3-1 home win against Coventry less than two weeks ago, followed by back-to-back 2-0 wins over Chelsea and Palace, the latter achieved after benefiting from a red card issued to Eagles striker Jean-Philippe Mateta in the 13th minute.

The North Londoners have climbed to ninth position in the Premier League table, just two points off the top five, and importantly five points clear of the relegation zone; they are now aiming to secure four league wins in a row for the first time since September and October 2023.

De Zerbi has urged his squad to build on their recent positive trend, stating that three consecutive wins are “not enough” to satisfy the fans. The Italian also wishes to see a “nastier” approach from his attacking players in front of goal after they only managed to net twice from 34 attempts against Palace.

As Tottenham prepares for the Saturday fixture against Leeds, they aim to extend their unbeaten streak to four away matches in the top flight, having won their last three visits to Elland Road by a total score of 10-2.

Team News

Leeds may be without Noah Okafor (adductor) and Anton Stach (broken toe), with Farke expressing cautious optimism that striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin—who scored seven goals in his last seven home outings—might be available after missing training on Thursday due to a foot issue.

Former Tottenham defender Joe Rodon has returned to full training and is in contention for the matchday squad after missing the previous eight matches across all competitions due to a hamstring injury. However, a starting role seems improbable, meaning James Justin, Nico Elvedi, and Tarik Muharemovic are expected to maintain their positions in the back three.

James Trafford will “remain in goal” despite his costly mistake against Bournemouth, while attackers Lukas Nmecha, Brenden Aaronson, and Jean-Matteo Bahoya could be options for a starting place should Farke opt to refresh his attack.

On the Tottenham side, Wilson Odobert (knee), Mykhaylo Mudryk (ankle), and Xavi Simons (ACL) continue to be sidelined, although the latter is making encouraging progress in his rehabilitation and could return sooner than initially predicted.

Savio (muscle) is believed to have resumed training this week, and it remains uncertain whether the winger will be match-fit to be included in the squad, while Lucas Bergvall (knee) and Tosin Adarabioyo (calf) are also facing minor doubts.

De Zerbi may consider implementing only two alterations to his starting XI, with Pedro Porro pushing to replace Archie Gray at right-back, while playmaker James Maddison could come in at the expense of either Omar Marmoush or Dominic Solanke, who are both vying for the center-forward role.

Leeds United probable starting XI:

Trafford; Justin, Elvedi, Muharemovic; Bogle, Ampadu, Tanaka, Gudmundsson; Wilson, James; Calvert-Lewin

Tottenham Hotspur probable starting XI:

Kinsky; Porro, Van Hecke, Van de Ven, Robertson; Fernandes, Tonali; Kudus, Maddison, Tel, Solanke

Seven out of Leeds’ nine Premier League matches this season have had fewer than 2.5 goals, and a similar tight contest is anticipated against Tottenham this weekend.

At present, Tottenham holds the momentum, yet Leeds have proven difficult to defeat at Elland Road, suggesting a likelihood of the points being shared in a low-scoring draw on this occasion.