In a dramatic Premier League showdown at Elland Road on Saturday, Mohammed Kudus delivered both a goal and an assist to power Tottenham Hotspur to a 2-1 victory over Leeds United, handing the hosts their first league defeat at home in over a year. Spurs moved up to second place with 14 points, one behind Liverpool; Leeds drop to 12th with eight points as the international break looms.
Kudus began the damage by teeing up Mathys Tel in the 23rd minute. The Ghanaian’s pass freed Tel down the right flank; the 20-year-old’s effort deflected past Leeds keeper Karl Darlow for his first goal of the season. Leeds fought back before half-time. Brenden Aaronson’s shot was parried by Tottenham’s Guglielmo Vicario, only to land at Noah Okafor’s feet for a close-range finish eleven minutes later.
In the rain-soaked second half, Spurs regained the lead via Kudus. After Gabriel Gudmundsson lost sight of the ball, the Ghanaian surged into the box and lashed a shot—again aided by a deflection—that wrong-footed Darlow. His celebration included the quirky trademark of sitting on a stool.
Leeds’ manager Daniel Farke lamented the fine margins: “Our player slipped and that was an invitation to Kudus,” he told BBC, adding that performance-wise his side “won every metric.” He shifted to a back three to push more men forward late on, but Spurs countered by moving to a back five. Leeds came close in added time, with Joel Piroe striking a half-volley destined for the bottom corner—only for Vicario to stretch and tip it wide.
Postmatch, Kudus admitted he had been eager for that first goal and that scoring would “boost your confidence.” He noted that now comes a period representing his national team and “coming back with the same focus.” Meanwhile, Spurs boss Thomas Frank praised the defensive resolve of his squad: “For the rest of the game I thought we defended superbly.”
The result ends Leeds’ streak of 23 league home games without defeat and marks a statement win for Spurs.
Africa Digital News, New York