Matthijs Tille went from hero to villain as Tottenham missed the chance to make a big move Premier League Survival as they drew 1-1 with Leeds United.
After West Ham’s controversial 1-0 defeat to leaders Arsenal on Sunday, Tottenham had the opportunity to move four points clear of the Hammers with victory over a Leeds side who had already confirmed their top-flight status.
It looked as if Tottenham would put decisive daylight between them and their London rivals when Till opened the scoring with a brilliant finishing touch five minutes into the second half.
But a very ill-advised defensive piece from Hill gifted Leeds an equalizer and West Ham a lifeline in the battle to avoid relegation.
Till inadvertently caught Ethan Ampadu’s head with his boot as he attempted to clear the ball with a overhead kick, and after a VAR review, Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored a penalty meaning Spurs’ lead over West Ham was just two points.
Tottenham hold a huge advantage on goal difference over West Ham, but their failure to take all three points here leaves Nuno Espirito Santo’s side with the chance to leapfrog them with victory over Newcastle United on Sunday. Roberto De Zerbe’s men will not play again until a week from Tuesday, when they visit Chelsea.
Spurs made the most of the first half
Spurs got off to a slow start and were grateful to Antonin Kinski for making a brilliant save to prevent Joe Rodon’s header from finding the bottom right corner.
Spurs were the better of the first half after that, with Joao Palinha wasting their best chance when he fired over the bar from close range after bursting into the box and sending off Ao Tanaka.
Spurs could have conceded a penalty before half-time after Destiny Udoji brought down Calvert-Lewin, but the hosts were saved by the fact that the Leeds striker veered offside by a very narrow margin.
Five minutes after the start of the second half, Tottenham took advantage of this kick, and Till took control brilliantly after Leeds cleared only half the ball from a corner kick and then found the far corner in an amazing way.
Richarlison wasted a chance to make it 2-0 when he fired a shot over the bar after excellent work from Randall Kolo Mwani, and Spurs will be punished for their profligacy.
Kinski saves the point after Till turns heel
Till’s bizarre decision-making left Ampadu in a heap from the area, and Calvert-Lewin was ruthless in the conversion after Jarryd Gillett was instructed to consult his pitch marker.
A roar erupted around Tottenham Hotspur Stadium when 13 minutes of stoppage time was announced, but it was Leeds who came closest to taking all three points by then.
Indeed, more heroics were needed from Kinski as he made a brilliant reflex save to tip Sean Longstaff’s shot onto the underside of the bar, then Jaka Pegol wasted a chance to complete the conversion moments later.
After a weekend marked by controversy over VAR, Tottenham were calling for a penalty after the returning James Maddison went down under the challenge of Lucas Nmecha. However, the incident was ruled out by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) and TV replays showed that Nmecha made a faint touch of the ball.
That would have caused many sighs in east London, with the focus now shifting to Tyneside as West Ham look to turn the battle for survival in their favour.
