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Calvert-Lewin penalty earns Leeds draw at Tottenham
Roberto De Zerbi’s visible anguish, marked by his pulling a black hood over his face on the touchline, encapsulated another night of self-inflicted wounds for Tottenham Hotspur.
The new head coach’s frustration was palpable after Richarlison squandered a golden opportunity to extend Spurs’ lead against Leeds United, following Mathys Tel’s earlier impressive strike.
While a 2-0 advantage is never a guarantee with Spurs, converting the chance could have alleviated the palpable tension at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The Italian manager is quickly learning that “comfort zone” is a foreign concept at Spurs, especially when presented with a chance to create distance from West Ham United and ease their Premier League relegation worries.
True to form, Tel transitioned from hero to villain, conceding a penalty in the 74th minute with a reckless challenge, allowing Leeds to equalize and snatch two crucial points from Spurs.
Roberto De Zerbi has won eight points in five games as Tottenham head coach
Tottenham held by Leeds as relegation fight takes another twist
Earlier in the match, Tel flirted with disaster, nearly setting up a Leeds United forward with a misplaced cross in his own penalty area, only to be spared by Kevin Danso’s clearance.
However, his later bicycle kick attempt in his own box, which connected with Ethan Ampadu’s head, proved far more costly, leaving the Leeds captain prone on the ground.
The Video Assistant Referee confirmed the inevitable, as De Zerbi looked skyward, and Dominic Calvert-Lewin confidently converted the resulting penalty.
After maintaining a relatively composed demeanor in his initial Spurs matches, securing vital away wins against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Aston Villa, this game witnessed the Italian’s fiery temperament fully ignite.
De Zerbi’s animated reactions to his team’s slow play in the first half drew the attention of referee Jarred Gillett, who issued a warning as the manager repeatedly strayed from his technical area.
A yellow card followed as tensions escalated, exacerbated by 13 minutes of added time that heightened the unbearable atmosphere within the stadium.
Unsurprisingly, De Zerbi displayed clear frustration at the final whistle, as the survival opportunity presented by West Ham United’s contentious loss to Arsenal diminished, with Spurs failing to capitalize on the chance to establish a significant four-point lead before the season’s final two matches.
De Zerbi suggested to Match of the Day that the gravity of their situation may have impacted his players’ performance.
“We didn’t play a great game – we played a good game,” De Zerbi stated.
“I think we deserved to win anyway but maybe the pressure, the crucial game, the crucial part of the season, we suffered too much.
“Anyway I am happy because I watched my players with the right spirit, with the right mentality.
“We made too many mistakes. If we want to win we have to reduce the mistakes, but we knew before this game it will be tough until the end of the season, until the last game. It is tough for us and tough for everyone.”
Regarding Tel, he commented: “He is young and is a talent. I will kiss him and hug him. He doesn’t need too many words. He was sorry for the mistake. It can happen to a young player.”
De Zerbi added: “I think we have to consider the result, but we also have to consider the performance. We played a good game, we are making points – in the last four games we made eight points.
“Congratulations to Leeds. They played a great game. They have to play the last game at West Ham and we’ve no doubt that they will play the same way.”
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Tottenham players good enough to stay up – De Zerbi
Another player deserving of praise from De Zerbi was goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky, continuing his remarkable recovery from the trauma of being substituted after just 17 minutes in the Champions League last-16 first leg against Atletico Madrid.
Kinsky produced two outstanding saves, denying Joe Rodon’s header in the first half and later preserving a point with a stunning reflex stop to deflect Sean Longstaff’s stoppage-time shot onto the bar.
These saves could prove pivotal in keeping Spurs in the Premier League.
The relegation battle now appears poised to extend to the final match of the season.
If West Ham secure a victory at Newcastle United on Saturday, Spurs will find themselves back in the relegation zone before their match against Chelsea on 19 May. The Blues would relish the opportunity to compound their rivals’ misery before a final-day encounter against Everton.
Should it reach the final game, Spurs will need to overcome a concerning trend, as their last Premier League home win was against Brentford in December, having drawn their last two home games under De Zerbi against Brighton and Leeds.
In a desperate attempt to secure a winner, De Zerbi introduced James Maddison, marking his return from a serious knee injury sustained in pre-season. Maddison appeared lively and believed he had earned a penalty after going down under a challenge from Lukas Nmecha, but replays showed the Leeds player made contact with the ball first.
De Zerbi’s body language, never subtle, conveyed his profound frustration.
This sentiment resonated with everyone connected to Spurs, as their battle to avoid relegation from the Premier League now appears destined to extend to the final day of a turbulent and chaotic season.
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