Leeds’ relegation fears intensify
LEEDS United’s Premier League relegation fears intensified after they slumped to a 4-0 defeat at home to Tottenham Hotspur yesterday.
Having conceded 16 goals in their last four matches, Leeds had clearly not solved their defensive issues ahead of Spurs’visit, and whatever game plan they had was thrown out the window within 15 minutes as Matt Doherty and Dejan Kulusevski put Spurs 2-0 up.
Harry Kane volleyed home a third in the 27th minute, making Leeds only the second side in Premier League history to concede three or more goals in five consecutive matches in the competition, after Sunderland in November 2005.
Son Heung-min completed the rout late on, on the end of a sumptuous pass from Kane.
A fifth defeat in their last six league matches for Leeds leaves them 15th in the table, only three points clear of the bottom three, having played three games more than Burnley in 18th place.
Spurs’ second successive win on the road moved Antonio Conte’s side above Wolverhampton Wanderers into seventh in the standings.
“It is always a tough place to come and we needed to show character and responsibility,” Son told Sport.
“Every player was fantastic today (yesterday).
“We can’t just be happy with today. There are more games to come.”
It was all too easy for Spurs from the off, as Ryan Sessegnon squared for Doherty to score his first league goal for Spurs - and first for anyone since March 2020 - before Kulusevski took advantage of a Leeds backline who stood off him as he fired into the net to silence Elland Road.
Robin Koch almost immediately got the home side back into it but his effort came out off the post, moments before Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg picked out a pass over the top for Kane to slot in his eighth league goal of the season.
Luke Ayling had another golden chance for Leeds before halftime but headed over.
Bielsa made two changes at the break but to no avail, as Leeds required a double save from Illan Meslier to keep Spurs from scoring a fourth on the hour mark.
Summing Leeds’afternoon up, Stuart Dallas somehow contrived to miss an open goal late on, before Kane picked out Son to complete the scoring.
Kane and Son have now combined for a Premier League goal 37 times, overtaking Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard as the duo who have assisted one another for the most goals in the competition’s history. The final whistle was greeted by a chorus of booing as the home fans vented their frustration at yet another heavy defeat.
“I think the result is fair,” Bielsa told
BT Sports.
“We could have reduced the differences, but we were never able to dominate the game.
“Even if we created goalscoring chances we never had a feeling of dominance over the opponent.” —