Kudus sparkles as Tottenham end Leeds' unbeaten home run
LEEDS, England :Tottenham Hotspur beat Leeds United 2-1 in the Premier League on Saturday thanks to a goal and assist from Mohammed Kudus that consigned the home side to a first league defeat at Elland Road in over a year.
Kudus created the opening goal for Mathys Tel for his fourth assist of the Premier League campaign before the 55 million- pound ($74.13 million) signing scored his first goal for the club in a rain-soaked second half.
Leeds's unbeaten home run ended at 23 league games as Spurs moved provisionally up to second on 14 points, a point behind Liverpool who visit Chelsea later on Saturday. Leeds are 12th with eight points heading into the international break.
"I've definitely been waiting (for my first Spurs goal). As an attacker it boosts your confidence when you score," Kudus told TNT Sports.
"We now go to represent our country and come back with the same focus. This is a big step in the right direction."
END-TO-END FIRST HALF
In a breathless first half, the sides traded blows in a physical clash but it was Leeds who started brighter, pressing high and creating chances.
Joe Rodon hit the post and Dominic Calvert-Lewin missed a golden opportunity from close range before Spurs broke the deadlock in the 23rd minute.
Tel was released by Kudus down the right channel and the 20-year-old Frenchman's shot deflected past Leeds keeper Karl Darlow.
"I worked this week a lot on finishing. I'm very happy for me," said Tel after his first goal of the season.
Leeds responded with renewed intensity and were rewarded with the equaliser 11 minutes later.
Brenden Aaronson's strike was saved by Guglielmo Vicario but the Italian keeper could only parry it to Noah Okafor who scored from close range.
KUDUS STRIKES IN SECOND HALF
As the rain came pelting down, Spurs took the lead again when Gabriel Gudmundsson lost sight of the ball and Kudus pounced.
The Ghanaian made a surging run towards the box before taking a shot that took a deflection, leaving Darlow wrong-footed as Kudus celebrated in trademark fashion by taking a seat on a stool.
"Our player slipped and that was an invitation to Kudus," Leeds manager Daniel Farke told BBC.
"We had more than enough chances to win this game. Performance-wise I can just compliment the lads, we won every metric. We are disappointed but the lads should be pleased with their performance."
Farke switched formation to play three at the back so more men could pour forward but his Spurs counterpart Thomas Frank responded by making a defensive change to play a back five.
Leeds nearly equalised in added time with arguably their best chance of the half when Joel Piroe took a shot on the half-volley that looked destined for the bottom corner but Vicario made a fingertip save.
"We should have got more out of the dangerous situations," Frank said.
"I know they hit the post and the goal, and right at the end there was carnage, but for the rest of the game I thought we defended superbly.
($1 = 0.7419 pounds)
