The attacker was at the centre of spotlight in Tottenham Hotspur’s 1-1 draw with Leeds United.
Tottenham Hotspur squandered an opportunity to go four points clear of the drop zone as they played out a 1-1 draw with Leeds United in North London on Monday evening.
Arsenal’s controversial victory over West Ham on Sunday meant Spurs could have moved four points clear of the relegation zone with victory against Leeds United. And it looked like it was happening when Mathys Tel gave the home side the lead in the 50th minute.
Following a Spurs corner, the ball fell kindly to Tel on the edge of the Leeds United box, where he took a brilliant first touch before bending a powerful effort into the far top corner of the net. Karl Darlow managed to get fingertips, but it was not enough to keep the ball out of the back of the net.
However, the Frenchman went from hero to villain in 20 minutes. He attempted to make a clearance from inside his own box with an acrobatic overhead kick and only had eyes for the ball, but that meant the 21-year-old was unaware of Ethan Ampadu rushing in to fight for the ball with his head. This saw Tel kick Ampadu in the head, and after a VAR check, referee Jarred Gillett pointed to the spot. Dominic Calvert-Lewin smashed the ball past Antonin Kinsky from the penalty spot to bring Leeds level at 1-1, which eventually turned out to be the scoreline at full-time.
Roberto De Zerbi reveals Mathys Tel apologised to his teammates after conceding the penalty
De Zerbi was asked what he said to Tel at full-time, and the Spurs gaffer responded that he offered his support to the young forward. He also revealed that Tel apologised to his teammates in the dressing room after his mistake that led to Leeds’ equaliser.
“[I gave him] a big hug and a big kiss,” De Zerbi said in his press conference (h/t BBC Sport).
“He [Tel] doesn’t need too many words. He was sorry for the mistake, and it can happen to a young player.
“He is very young, and it is not a problem for me. I am happy with the attitude and mentality.”
Tel was impressive vs. Leeds
Tel has endured an up-and-down first full season as a Spurs player, having initially joined on loan from Bayern Munich in the second half of last term. Yet, he has four goals and an assist from 29 Premier League appearances, including a beauty against Leeds at home. The French youth international was full of running, energetic and direct in his approach, creating problems for James Justin.
However, the Sarcelles-born talent’s strong display was overshadowed by his concession of a penalty in the second half. De Zerbi handled the question on Tel in the presser very maturely, praising his attitude and mentality rather than discouraging him for his mistake.
It is these little things that matter a lot, especially when it comes to handling young talents and maintaining the harmony in the dressing room. With the Lilywhites embroiled in a relegation dogfight with West Ham, De Zerbi wants every player to be counted and fight until the final game of the season.