Joe Hart praises Tottenham Hotspur’s resilience after beating Leeds United to go second in the Premier League table
Joe Hart, the former Tottenham and Manchester City goalkeeper, was full of praise for Spurs after their gritty 2-1 win away at Leeds. Speaking on TNT Sports [h/t BBC] after the game, Hart highlighted the determination on show from Thomas Frank’s men, pointing out that they battled for everything and found the key moments when it mattered most.
“Of all the things that Tottenham did today, they fought really, really hard for the win and they were up for the battle.”
“Leeds gave a great account of themselves but two moments of magic and they take three points back down the road.”
Tottenham’s win at Elland Road ended their unwanted run of defeats before international breaks, a streak that had stretched back nearly two years. The curse looked like it might continue when Leeds came flying out of the blocks, feeding off the energy of the home crowd. Noah Okafor’s equaliser just before the interval rewarded the hosts’ pressure and made it feel like the momentum had shifted.
A win’s a win!
But Spurs held firm. Their first goal came when Mathys Tel’s strike deflected off Pascal Struijk, and their winner came in similar fashion when Mohammed Kudus’ effort glanced in off the same defender. Tottenham’s ability to seize those fine margins showed real quality even with Leeds creating the odd chance here and there. At the end, Guglielmo Vicario had very little to do, and that’s credit to the Lilywhites and Tommy Frank.
Having said that, it was far from a polished performance, but Spurs will not care. Kudus, who arrived in the summer to add extra bite in attack, notched his first goal for the club and looked sharp throughout. Tel, meanwhile, finally broke his duck for the season, and his confidence will only grow from here. Both players delivered when the team needed them most.
For Hart, the main takeaway was Tottenham’s spirit. He underlined that while they were not at their free-flowing best, they were ready for the fight and got their reward. Spurs climb to second in the table, just one point behind Liverpool, with their focus now shifting to Aston Villa at home after the international break.
The win was scrappy, maybe even fortunate at times, but Hart’s verdict was clear: Tottenham showed resilience, found two moments of magic, and took home a huge three points. Credit to Leeds too, they played like they belonged in the Premier League and not like a newly-promoted side.
