Mathys Tel was both hero and villain for Tottenham Hotspur. The French striker scored a stunning goal to give his side the lead and boost their survival hopes, but later conceded a naive penalty that cost them victory against an already-safe Leeds United (1-1).
The Whites, with nothing to play for, showed fight at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and gave a lifeline to West Ham United, who looked doomed after Sunday’s defeat to Arsenal. After two consecutive wins under De Zerbi, Tottenham slipped back into old habits. Daniel Farke’s side started stronger, forcing Antonin Kinsky into an early save from a Rodon header that silenced the home crowd. Spurs grew into the game and deserved to lead at halftime—Pedro Porro had a goal-line clearance and Joao Palhinha fired wide from close range.
After the break, Tel produced a moment of magic from the edge of the box, curling a beautiful shot into the top corner from a cleared corner. But his brilliance turned to folly when, attempting to clear a ball inside his own area, he opted for an unnecessary bicycle kick and clattered into Ethan Ampadu, who came charging in from behind. The referee initially waved play on, but a VAR review led to a penalty, which Dominic Calvert-Lewin converted for his 13th Premier League goal of the season. In a lengthy stoppage time of over 13 minutes, Tottenham not only failed to create a clear chance to win but were saved from defeat by a superb Kinsky save from Longstaff.
The draw leaves Spurs two points above West Ham United with two games remaining. Roberto De Zerbi’s side still have to visit Chelsea, who are fighting for European qualification, and finish the season against Everton. Two matches to avoid a first relegation in five decades for the club.
