English pundit hails Mohammed Kudus’ performance in Tottenham Hotspur’s 2-1 win over Leeds United at Elland Road
Tottenham Hotspur continued their promising start to the season with a 2-1 win over Leeds United on Saturday lunchtime.
The north Londoners dropped points in the last two Premier League games, drawing with both Brighton and Wolverhampton Wanderers. They were also poor against Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League in midweek but were fortunate to escape Norway with a point. So, Thomas Frank and Co. were heading to Elland Road off the back of a three-game winless run in all competitions.
Mathys Tel scored his first goal of the season for Spurs in the first half, before Mohammed Kudus’ second-half strike secured sealed the deal, after Noah Okafor had levelled for the Whites. It was a display of grit and character from Tottenham, as it was mentally taxing going to Elland Road after midweek exertions in the Champions League.
Mohammed Kudus breaks his Tottenham duck, finally!
Much has been talked about Mohammed Kudus since he crossed the divide in a £55m deal from West Ham United in the summer. He has been Spurs’ best attacker by a country mile so far this season, and before the game at Leeds, the Ghanaian had four assists but no goals to show for his quality.
Fans were wondering when Kudus would get his first goal in our famous white shirt, and on Saturday, it finally arrived! The 25-year-old broke his Tottenham duck- a deflected effort off Pascal Struijk, which turned out to be the winner. He also posted his career-best stat in a match-winning performance at Elland Road.
Former English footballer Lucy Ward was full of praise for Kudus and Tottenham. She felt Spurs were under pressure playing in front of a jam-packed and noisy Elland Road but they hung on and won the points. The pundit also lauded Kudus’ “individual quality” in deciding the game in favour of the visitors.
“This is not an easy place to come. Spurs have been put under pressure, Leeds got themselves back level, and then they got their noses in front again,” Lucy Ward told TNT Sports (h/t BBC Sport).
“You can see the way that they are celebrating that Leeds are a tough nut to crack. A bit of individual quality from Kudus and a great performance.”
Good day in the office for Tottenham
The last few games did not go well for Tottenham, with Frank receiving his first taste of scrutiny from the Spurs supporters. He made some tactical tweaks in his side and introduced fresh energy, and the plan worked.
The win not only brought the confidence levels back in the squad but also reminded the fans that this project is a work in progress. Frank would have been delighted with his team’s work rate, energy levels, fighting spirit and endeavour against Leeds. The victory also ended Tottenham’s seven-game international break curse!
Next up, Spurs return to home to face Aston Villa after the international break, aiming to build on the Leeds win and continue the climb up the table.
