Tottenham failed to take advantage of West Ham’s defeat to Arsenal as they drew 1-1 with Leeds United at home.
Tottenham Hotspur were held to a disappointing 1-1 draw at home to Leeds United on Monday night, leaving them two points above the relegation zone with two games remaining.
Mathys Tel put Spurs’ noses in front in the second half thanks to a beautiful curling strike from the edge of the penalty area, before the Frenchman conceded a penalty with a high challenge on Ethan Ampadu, which Dominic Calvert-Lewin calmly converted to earn a share of the spoils. While it was a frustrating result and prevented Tottenham from establishing a four-point lead over relegation rivals West Ham, there were some strong performers from the game.
Goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky was the star of the show. He made two stunning saves during the game; the first one was to keep Anton Stach’s free header from going over the goal line, and then pulled off an incredible point-blank save onto the crossbar from Sean Longstaff’s rasping left-footed shot deep into stoppage time. Joao Palhinha also enjoyed a good game against the Whites.
The defensive midfielder earned a 6/10 rating for the work he put in throughout the 90 minutes. The Portuguese international provided the defensive base that allowed the likes of Rodrigo Bentancur and Conor Gallagher to drive forward and create opportunities in the final third.
Joao Palhinha believes Tottenham belong in the Premier League
Joao Palhinha opened up after Tottenham’s 1-1 stalemate with Leeds United. The 30-year-old feels Spurs “belong to the Premier League” and has full confidence that he and his teammates will ensure they stay with the big boys.
“I think it’s been a really tough season, but I think we are much better than most of the teams that are in front of us,” Palhinha said in an interview with HaytersTV.
“The season was not the best, that’s true, but I think this team has all the capacity to turn this situation because we have been showing I think we are improving a lot.
“And yeah, I think we are always fighting for the same, to keep the club in the Premier League because it’s where it belongs.”
Palhinha backs “special” James Maddison to make an impact for Tottenham
James Maddison made his first competitive appearance in over a year as he came off the bench in the 85th minute. The 29-year-old has been out since suffering an ACL injury while playing against Newcastle United in a pre-season friendly in August 2025.
With Tottenham chasing the winner, De Zerbi took the opportunity to hand Maddison his first appearance of the season. And Palhinha feels the England playmaker’s return could be a big boost in the Lilywhites’ survival hopes.
“It’s amazing. First of all, we really miss him. Not just on the pitch, but also in the dressing room with us because he’s a really important player on the pitch and off the pitch,” he added.
“And he’s a top player. I don’t need to say many things about him because you know, and we are really glad to have him.
“I think it’s important today as well his return to the club, pushing him. I think he also knows that he’s a special player for everyone. And yeah, we count with him for the next two.”
Indeed, Maddison, recovering from an ACL injury and returning to action against Leeds, was a great sight for all the Tottenham fans. The midfielder understandably looked rusty on Monday, but there is no denying his experience and quality to make a difference for us in the final two games of the season.