By Martyn Herman; Reuters.
Tottenham Hotspur wasted the chance to ease their Premier League relegation fears as Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s penalty earned Leeds United a 1-1 draw in North London on Monday.
A first home win in the league since December would have put Spurs four points clear of 18th-placed West Ham United with two games left and in sight of salvation after a woeful season.
It looked on the cards when Mathys Tel struck with a stunning effort early in the second half, curling a right-footed shot into the top corner to raise the roof in the stadium.
But Tel’s night took a turn for the worse as he conceded the penalty that Calvert-Lewin thumped home in the 74th minute.
As Tottenham’s nerves frayed, Leeds had chances to win it in stoppage time but Sean Longstaff’s strike was superbly diverted onto the underside of the bar by goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky.
The result left 17th-placed Spurs on 38 points with West Ham on 36 after 36 games.
After a 15-game winless league run plummeted Spurs towards a first relegation from the top flight since 1977, successive away wins under new manager Roberto de Zerbi changed the mood.
West Ham’s dramatic 1-0 defeat by Arsenal on Sunday had given Tottenham the opportunity to establish a safety buffer ahead of a daunting trip to Chelsea.
But it was never going to be that straightforward, especially for a Spurs side with only two home league victories out of 17 this season.
The nerves were everywhere. Tel’s panicky clearance across his own area needed a flying clearance by Kevin Danso.
Minutes later Kinsky had to claw a header by Joe Rodon off the line after the former Spurs defender met a cross from Brenden Aaronson.
Tottenham did build some pressure as halftime approached. Richarlison scuffed one good chance straight at keeper Karl Darlow, Pedro Porro’s shot was blocked on the line and Palhinha then lifted a shot over the bar.
The hosts had a huge scare on the stroke of halftime as Destiny Udogie appeared to drag down Calvert-Lewin in the area. It would likely have been a penalty but a VAR check adjudged that Calvert-Lewin was marginally offside.
Tel was interviewed by Sky Sports before the start of the second half as part of the broadcaster’s live coverage and expressed his confidence that Tottenham would “do it”.
Five minutes after the restart those words proved prophetic as he released the tension that had gripped the stadium.
Controlling a high ball with a silky touch, the young French forward took aim and curled an exquisite shot high past the diving Darlow and into the back of the net.
Tel’s night did not end well though. With 20 minutes left he attempted an acrobatic clearance but accidentally caught Ethan Ampadu in the head inside the area.
After a VAR check, referee Jarred Gillett viewed the incident on a monitor and awarded a penalty to groans from the home fans. Calvert-Lewin smashed the ball past Kinsky and suddenly it was Leeds who looked the more likely winners as Tottenham’s fragility at home resurfaced.
Kinsky’s stunning save in the 13 minutes of added time kept it level and Spurs were then convinced they had a penalty when substitute James Maddison went down under a challenge from Lukas Nmecha but their appeals were waved away.