Mathys Tel went from being a hero to a villain as Tottenham missed the chance to take a big step towards survival in the Premier League as they were held by Leeds United 1-1.
After West Ham’s 1-0 defeat at leaders Arsenal on Sunday, Spurs had the chance to go four points clear of the Hammers with a win over a Leeds side already assured of their top-flight status.
And it looked as if Tottenham would put daylight between themselves and their London rivals when Tel opened the scoring with a superb finish five minutes into the second half.
But an ill-advised piece of Tel defense gave Leeds an equalizer and West Ham a lifeline in the fight to avoid relegation.
Tel caught Ethan Ampadu in the head with his boot as he attempted to clear a high kick and, after a VAR review, Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored a penalty to keep Spurs’ lead over West Ham to just two points.
Tottenham have 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 pull it off with a win over Newcastle United on Sunday. Roberto De Zerbi’s men do not play again until a week on Tuesday, when they visit Chelsea.
Tottenham made the most of the clearances in the first half
Tottenham started slowly and had Antonin Kinsky to thank for making a good save to prevent Joe Rodon’s header from finding the bottom right corner.
Spurs had the better of the first half after that, Joao Palhinha squandered their best chance as he headed home from close range after breaking into the box to dispossess Ao Tanaka.
Tottenham should have had a penalty before the break after Destiny Udogie brought down Calvert-Lewin, but the hosts were saved when the Leeds striker was ruled offside at close range.
And five minutes into the second half Spurs took advantage of a let-off, Tel taking control well after Leeds took a half-corner and found a stunning long-range shot.
Richarlison spurned a chance to make it 2-0 when he fell after good work from Randal Kolo Muani, and Spurs will be punished for his foul.
Kinsky saves the point after Tel turns the thief
Tel’s clumsy decisions left Ampadu in a heap in the area, and Calvert-Lewin was ruthless in his conversion after Jarred Gillett was told to check with his sideline keeper.
There was a roar in the Tottenham Hotspur stadium when 13 minutes of injury time was announced, but it was Leeds who came close to taking all the points at that time.
Indeed, more heroics were needed from Kinsky as he produced a remarkable reflex to give Sean Longstaff a drive under the crossbar, then Jaka Bijol wasted the opportunity to complete the conversion moments later.
After a weekend defined by VAR controversy, Spurs were looking for a penalty after the returning James Maddison went down under a challenge from Lukas Nmecha. However, VAR ruled out the incident, with replays suggesting that Nmecha was slightly affected by the ball.
That will have been a relief to many in East London, with the focus now on Tyneside as West Ham look to turn their hard-fought battle for survival back into favour.
