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May 11, 2026 17:19-04:00

Tottenham player ratings vs Leeds: Mathys Tel, what were you thinking?! Spurs goal-scorer goes from hero to zero as draw dents Premier League survival hopes

Tottenham threw away two huge points in their fight for Premier League survival as they were held to a 1-1 draw by already-safe Leeds on Monday night. Spurs looked on course for a crucial victory when Mathys Tel fired home an unstoppable strike shortly after half-time, but the Frenchman turned villain when he conceded a needless penalty to gift the visitors a route back into the game with 20 minutes to play, and Roberto De Zerbi's side were unable to find a winner.

Tottenham had only won at home twice all season long and it took them a while to get going amid another nervy atmosphere. They almost fell behind when Antonin Kinsky was forced to claw Joe Rodon's header off the line, and that seemed to spark Spurs into life. Tel burst into the penalty area and saw his strike deflected over before Pedro Porro's goal-bound drive was blocked just short of the goal-line, and moments later Joao Palhinha battled through a crowd of players in the box but conspired to sky his shot.

The hosts finally found the moment of quality they had been desperately searching for six minutes into the second period as Tel controlled a clearance on the edge of the Leeds box and whipped a powerful, pinpoint finish into the far top corner. It should have been 2-0 shortly afterwards, but Richarlison volleyed over after being picked out in space.

However, Tottenham's hopes of seeing out a vital victory against an opponent that had very little to play for would go out the window. With 20 minutes left to play, Tel hesitated under a dropping ball in the penalty area and made the inexplicable decision to attempt an acrobatic clearance - making contact with the onrushing Ethan Ampadu rather than the ball. After a VAR check and a lengthy review on the pitch-side monitor, referee Jarred Gillett pointed to the spot and Dominic Calvert-Lewin buried it with aplomb.

Things almost went from bad to worse for Spurs during 13 minutes of stoppage time, but Kinsky was able to miraculously push Sean Longstaff's fierce effort onto the crossbar to preserve the point. There was still time for Leeds to survive a huge penalty shout at the very end of the additional period, as Lukas Nmecha was adjudged to have got just enough on the ball in a challenge on James Maddison.

The result means Tottenham are just two points clear of West Ham in 18th with two games to play, and they face a daunting trip to Stamford Bridge next to take on London rivals Chelsea.

GOAL rates Spurs' players from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium...

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Goalkeeper & Defence
Antonin Kinsky (7/10):
Reacted well to just about keep out Rodon's downward header. Given no chance by Calvert-Lewin from the spot but made a huge late save to preserve the point.
Pedro Porro (7/10):
Looked to bomb forward as often as possible or create from an inverted position and saw a crisp goal-bound effort blocked just short of the line.
Kevin Danso (5/10):
Made a crucial intervention to cut out Mathys Tel's dangerous cross into his own box, but booked for cynically ending a Leeds counter and didn't impress in his duels.
Micky van de Ven (6/10):
A calm presence and helped his side build nicely from the back at times. Made a huge late challenge to deny Nmecha.
Destiny Udogie (6/10):
Enjoyed his battle with Dan James and often had the better of it. Maybe lucky to avoid conceding a penalty.

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Midfield
Joao Palhinha (6/10):
Able to get more involved in attack than usual and really should have scored. Booked for a crunching foul.
Rodrigo Bentancur (7/10):
Did the dirty work and gave his side a base from which to build attacks.
Conor Gallagher (6/10):
Pressed hard as usual but nowhere near as impactful as he was last time out.
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Attack
Randal Kolo Muani (6/10):
Bright once again and always a willing runner but lacked a bit of quality in his end product. Richarlison wasted the best opportunity he created.
Richarlison (5/10):
Largely fed off scraps and spurned his best opening when a clear chance finally did come his way. Lacked pace in a couple of key sprints.
Mathys Tel (6/10):
Almost caused his side a huge problem with a wayward ball across his own box. More than made amends with a sublime finish, but ruined his good work with the bizarre attempted clearance that saw him connect with Ampadu.

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Subs & Manager
Lucas Bergvall (5/10):
Unable to really get into the game or create anything of note.
James Maddison (6/10):
A welcome return but unable to pick the Leeds lock off the bench.
Djed Spence (N/A):
A late introduction for some fresh legs at the back.
Roberto De Zerbi (5/10):
This wasn't the kind of high-intensity performance he would have been hoping for as Spurs once again wilted on home turf. Nevertheless, the individual error was out of his control when his side had looked set for a big win.

Goalkeeper & Defence

Midfield

Attack

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Subs & Manager