Leeds United 1-0 Tottenham. Noah Okafor scored the only goal in the 79th minute at Elland Road on Saturday, lifting Leeds out of a winless run in the Premier League's gameweek 10 lunchtime game.
The decisive moment
It was a match with little to separate the sides in the cards or the early exchanges. Micky van de Ven was booked for Tottenham in the 15th minute, Sean Longstaff for Leeds in the 22nd, and Pedro Porro went into the book in the 51st.
Okafor, who was not in Leeds' starting XI, then broke the deadlock in the 79th minute. He was booked a minute later, in the 80th. Sandro Tonali was cautioned for Tottenham in the 88th as the visitors chased an equaliser that did not come.
Leeds had gone into the game without a win in their last five: two defeats and three draws, the latest a 0-0 against Crystal Palace. Tottenham arrived after a 3-2 home defeat by Aston Villa, having won three in a row before that.
The result also breaks a run in this fixture. Leeds had not beaten Tottenham in any of the previous six meetings going back to November 2021, losing five and drawing one, the latest a 1-1 at Tottenham in May.
What the numbers say
Tottenham had far more of the ball, with 61% possession to Leeds' 39%, but Leeds were the more threatening side by volume.
- Total shots: Leeds 16, Tottenham 7
- Shots on target: 4 each
- Shots off target: Leeds 8, Tottenham 3
- Corners: Leeds 6, Tottenham 4
- Fouls: Leeds 11, Tottenham 15
- Offsides: Leeds 2, Tottenham 1
Leeds also had four shots blocked. Equal numbers on target show why the game stayed so tight for so long: Leeds' extra shots were not turning into extra efforts on goal until Okafor's late finish.
That fits the season picture. Expected goals data via Fantasy Premier League, which measures the quality of chances created, had Leeds at 1.27 per game for and 1.34 against across nine games with data. Tottenham were at 1.3 for and 1.12 against. Neither side had been dominant in that measure.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who started for Leeds, leads the club on the same data with 4.24 expected goals from 844 minutes, against three actual goals. He did not score here.
What it means in the table
Leeds are eighth on 14 points from 10 games, with a goal difference of plus two. Tottenham are 10th on 12 points, also from 10 games, with a goal difference of minus one. Leaders Arsenal have 24 points from nine games.
Both clubs average a goal a game this season. Leeds have conceded 0.8 per game to Tottenham's 1.1, and each has four clean sheets. Another one for Leeds, this time earned with a goal at the right end, keeps them in the top half.
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