Leeds United claimed a narrow but deserved victory over Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday afternoon. For much of the match, a 0-0 draw looked likely, until substitute Noah Okafor struck with ten minutes remaining to make it 1-0. The result ended Roberto De Zerbi's side's strong run.
With Dutchmen Micky van de Ven and Jan Paul van Hecke and former Ajax player Mohammed Kudus in the starting XI, Tottenham Hotspur struggled to move the ball forward in the first half. Only Omar Marmoush and Kudus tested the Leeds goal before the break, without success.
Before the break, the officials were at the centre of the biggest incidents. Mateus Fernandes appeared to handle the ball in his own penalty area, but the video referee had no footage that allowed a conclusive decision. On the stroke of half-time, Jayden Bogle kicked Mathys Tel out of the match, but VAR did not intervene. Bogle escaped without a card, while Tel had to leave the pitch injured.
Tottenham needed a different approach after the break. Instead, Leeds emerged from the dressing room with renewed energy. Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Ao Tanaka came closest to breaking the deadlock as Leeds put Antonín Kinský's goal under pressure.
At Elland Road, Leeds looked the more likely winners. Sean Longstaff thought he had opened the scoring, but Kinský made a spectacular save.
Harry Wilson then played the ball into the penalty area, where it fell to substitute Okafor, who had been on the pitch for just a minute. The forward did not hesitate, firing past Kinský into the left corner. Elland Road erupted, and Okafor took off his shirt in celebration.
With that goal, Leeds secured their first win since 14 September. Even a last-gasp header from Van Hecke could not change the result. Tottenham's four-match unbeaten run ended, a spell in which they had kept two clean sheets.