A missed opportunity for Tottenham Hotspur to take a huge step towards retaining their Premier League status or a point closer to safety?

The visit of Leeds United to north London offered Roberto De Zerbi’s side a chance to move four points clear of 18th-placed West Ham United with two games remaining. It would have left their relegation rivals with a mountain to climb.

They were on course to do just that when Mathys Tel’s fine strike put them in front early in the second half. But he was then at fault for Leeds’ equaliser, his high boot catching Ethan Ampadu, Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring from the spot after a penalty was awarded by VAR.

Things might have got even worse for Spurs had Antonin Kinsky not produced a superb stop to deny Sean Longstaff in stoppage time.

The draw means Tottenham, who have struggled at home all season, are now two points clear of West Ham with two games remaining.

Jay Harris, Beren Cross and Elias Burke analyse the main talking points.

Did Tel just go from hero to villain?

Mathys Tel put Spurs ahead early in the second half (Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

Tel should have been Tottenham’s hero but a bizarre decision in the second half wrecked their chances of winning at home for the first time since December.

They were defending their own box when the ball looped up into the air and Tel made an unorthodox attempt to clear the danger with an overhead kick. Instead of connecting with the ball, the France Under-21 international made contact with Amapadu’s head and conceded a penalty.

Tel had started the game with a couple of erratic decisions. In the 20th minute, he was forced towards the byline by Daniel James and played a risky lofted pass across his own penalty area. Leeds wing-back James Justin was ready to direct a header past Kinsky but Kevin Danso just managed to flick the ball out of his path. When Tel received the ball in his own half a couple of minutes later and lost it carelessly, there were a few groans from the home fans.

Those groans turned into huge cheers at the beginning of the second half. The ball dropped to Tel on the edge of the box and he curled a right-footed shot into the top corner past Karl Darlow. It was similar to Xavi Simons’ stunning effort in last month’s 2-2 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion.

Unfortunately, as happened that time, the goal was cancelled out here, too. It was a damaging blow for Spurs, who failed to capitalise on West Ham’s dramatic defeat by Arsenal.

Tel’s progress has not been linear since he joined Spurs, initially on loan, from Bayern Munich in February 2025 and there are times when he looks capable of being the long-term successor to former captain Son Heung-min on the left wing. He is still a young player, though, and will hopefully learn a painful lesson from his costly error against Leeds.

Jay Harris

Will Spurs’ inability to win at home prove costly?

One of Tottenham’s biggest problems over the past two seasons has been their inability to win games at home. They have the joint-worst record in the Premier League, along with Burnley (12 points), and have conceded the most goals. There are lots of different reasons for their dismal home form, including the expectation from the fans and an inability to break teams down. The last time they won a game at home, Thomas Frank was still in charge and Brennan Johnson was an unused substitute in a 2-0 victory over Brentford on December 6.

They have come close on a few occasions, including last month’s agonising draw with Brighton & Hove Albion. Leeds deserved a point here but the frustrating thing for Spurs is that they allowed the game to drift away from them after a brief period of control following Tel’s goal.

Spurs seemed to run out of energy and their passing became sloppy. Leeds head coach Daniel Farke changed his formation and Spurs’ defence struggled to cope with Lukas Nmecha supporting Calvert-Lewin up front.

Spurs’ injury crisis is a significant factor because De Zerbi had limited options to change the game. Wilson Odobert, Dominic Solanke, Simons and Mohammed Kudus are all on the treatment table, so De Zerbi could not change his forward line.

The game became stretched after Calvert-Lewin’s equaliser and Spurs failed to generate any quality chances even after the long-awaited return of James Maddison.

Jay Harris

Were Leeds affected by already being safe?

Dominic Calvert-Lewin rescued a point for Leeds (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Farke will have known exactly what to expect from the first question in his post-match press conference: did Leeds play like a team already safe from relegation?

They did virtually nothing to trouble Kinsky until Calvert-Lewin buried his 74th-minute penalty. Tottenham were much the better team, but had not really tested Darlow beyond Tel’s second-half strike.

Once the hosts were in front, a home win looked a formality unless Farke opted to roll the dice and change a setup which had clearly not been working. The substitutions came, but the system was not radically different.

Tottenham began to tire and Tel was ultimately punished for his reckless boot in his own box. It feels too simplistic to say Leeds had lost their edge because their Premier League status was secured.

Perhaps it is fairer to recognise, on paper, a Tottenham squad, at home, should always be the favourites against Leeds. United were always likely to be left hanging in there at points.

James did not work as an experiment at wing-back in the absence of Jayden Bogle and Gabriel Gudmundsson. Brenden Aaronson was anonymous. Calvert-Lewin was isolated. Pascal Struijk could not get a handle on Randal Kolo Muani.

And yet, they soaked up the pressure before putting their superior fitness to work in the latter stages. A point, at any period of this season, is a good outcome for Leeds at the home of the Europa League champions.

Beren Cross

How significant might Maddison’s return prove?

James Maddison tumbles under a challenge late on (Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

De Zerbi has kept his cards close to his chest when he has been asked about Maddison’s fitness. The England international has been named in the matchday squad for their past four games but the Italian head coach kept insisting he was only included for his leadership qualities.

Maddison suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury in August on the final game of Tottenham’s pre-season tour to Hong Kong and South Korea and the assumption was he would be ruled out for the entire season. He deserves immense credit for returning sooner than expected.

Spurs fans cheered when Maddison started warming up in the first half but it was nothing compared to the response he received when they realised he was going to come on. The entire stadium stood up and applauded as he replaced Tel.

When Maddison tumbled under a challenge late in stoppage time, it seemed he might have been involved in a game-changing moment, but a VAR review decided not to award a penalty.

Ultimately, Maddison was unable to inspire a victory but he could have an important role to play in their final two games of the campaign.

Jay Harris

What does this result mean for the relegation battle?

West Ham were given a major lifeline in the relegation battle by Tel, whose error enabled Calvert-Lewin to keep the relegation battle very much alive.

Until that point, Tottenham looked to be on their way to a crucial three points. Tel’s excellent finish had put Spurs on the “magic” 40 points mark in the ‘as-it-stands table’. That would have meant West Ham would need to win both of their remaining two games, while hoping Tottenham took no more than one point from their final two games, given their superior goal difference.

Now, though, the gap is just two points, leaving West Ham just a win away from 17th.

West Ham sit 18th on 36 points, two away from Tottenham. They have the opportunity to get that much-needed win on the board on Sunday, when they travel to Newcastle United.

Spurs do not play until Tuesday, when they travel to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea — who will be in the FA Cup final three days before. It is a ground they have not won at since 2018.

Should results dictate that their futures come down to the final day, Leeds will, again, have a huge part to play. They travel to the London Stadium on Sunday, May 24, while Tottenham host Everton at the same time.

Elias Burke

What next for Spurs?

Tuesday, May 19: Chelsea (Away), Premier League, 8.15pm UK, 3.15pm ET

What next for Leeds?

Sunday, May 17: Brighton (Home), Premier League, 3pm UK, 10am ET