Notebook – Spurs vs Leeds United

We face our final fixture ahead of the World Cup break on Saturday as we entertain Leeds United in the Premier League (kick-off 3pm UK).

Ahead of the match at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, here are all of the game’s key points of note…

1 - On top against Leeds

Despite having once endured a rather frustrating run of form against Leeds in the Premier League, in recent times, this has been a fixture we have come out of well. Having won just one of nine league meetings with the West Yorkshire side between November, 1997, and November, 2001, we have since won seven of the last nine clashes, including the most recent back in February.

2 - Last meeting with Leeds

Back in the spring, we claimed a comprehensive victory at Leeds in the Premier League. Heading to Elland Road three days after a difficult night at Burnley as we fell to a 1-0 defeat, we turned on the style against the Whites as we put four past them without reply.

Matt Doherty got us underway with his first goal for the Club before Dejan Kulusevski and Harry Kane had us three to the good before half-time. We continued to control proceedings after the break in a feisty encounter in West Yorkshire before Heung-Min Son added our fourth with five minutes remaining as he applied the finish to Kane’s raking pass – a goal which saw the duo break the Premier League’s all-time record for goal combinations.

3 - Leeds’ last visit to N17

Prior to that February victory at Elland Road, we welcomed Leeds to north London in November – and we also claimed all three points in that meeting. In what was Antonio Conte’s first Premier League game in charge of us at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, we fell behind to our Yorkshire visitors as Dan James struck on the stroke of half-time. However, we rallied in the second half, manage to get ourselves level just before the hour mark through Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg before Sergio Reguilon was in the right place at the right time to score his first for the Club and make it a perfect evening in N17.

4 - Marsch-ing on together

After our 4-0 victory at Elland Road in the spring and with Leeds edging closer to the relegation zone, the Yorkshire side decided to make a change to their Head Coach with Marcelo Bielsa departing and Jesse Marsch arriving - a change which has worked out rather well for Leeds. With the Whites having won just four of their first 26 league games under Bielsa last term, Marsch came in and led them to as many wins in their final 12 games including a dramatic final day victory at Brentford which was crucial to staving off relegation.

5 - Leeds’ form

And this season, Marsch has continued keep Leeds competitive in the top flight. Having played 13 games thus far, the Whites have picked up 15 points (W4 D3) which sees them sitting in mid table currently. Saturday’s opponents did go through a rough autumn where they went seven games without a win, including four consecutive defeats, but they come into this weekend’s fixture having earned back-to-back victories.

6 - Away discomforts

While Leeds have been competitive this season in the Premier League, they have struggled on the road. Having played six games away from Elland Road this campaign, they have won just once – a shock 2-1 win against Liverpool at Anfield last month – while they have lost four times (D1).

7 - Cornering opponents

One of our main strengths this season has been our set-piece routines. So far this campaign, we have scored nine goals from corners in the Premier League – the most by any team in the competition. We last scored more such goals in a season back in 2015/16 (10).

8 - Harry’s heading the heights

And someone who has benefitted significantly from those corners is Harry Kane. The striker, who is enjoying an incredible season so far in front of goal with 11 scored in 14 games, has headed home four of those corners. In total he has scored five headers – he has only scored more headed goals in the Premier League in one other term, that was six in 2017/18.