Seven-goal thriller ends in victory over Leeds - on-the-whistle report
Spurs 4-3 Leeds United
Sat 12 November 2022, 17:00|Tottenham Hotspur
Rodrigo Bentancur scored a quickfire double inside the final 10 minutes to clinch a seven-goal thriller against a Leeds United side that had led three times at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
In what was feisty and entertaining affair, the visitors scored through Crysencio Summerville and a brace from Rodrigo, but we kept coming back with Harry Kane and Ben Davies drawing us level twice, before Bentancur struck a three-minute double to turn the game on its head. Tyler Adams was dismissed for the visitors late on for his second yellow card and we held on for the closing minutes to pick up three important points.
This was our last fixture before the World Cup begins next weekend, but we fell behind for the eighth consecutive game, just 10 minutes gone when Summerville latched onto Brenden Aaronsen’s pass to finish left-footed past Hugo Lloris. Emerson Royal then had a shot saved by Illan Meslier before blazing over from 10 yards out after great work down the left by Davies, while Lloris saved with his legs to deny Summerville his second.
We were level on 26 minutes, Meslier’s punch from an Ivan Perisic corner falling to Kane who produced an exquisite first touch to take the ball past Adams and then fired home from 10 yards. But the visitors regained the lead just before the break when Rasmus Kristensen flicked on Liam Cooper’s header and Rodrigo stole in behind our defence to volley home, Lloris getting a good hand on it but unable to keep it out.
But just five minutes after the interval it was all square again. Kristensen blocked Kane’s effort from Dejan Kulusevski’s low cross, the ball cannoning out to Davies whose 18-yard drive beat the attempts of Meslier and Kristensen to keep it out. We had the upper hand for a while, the excellent Kulusevski firing into the side-netting and the Leeds defence keeping out a series of corners, but the visitors went in front for the third time on 76 minutes, Rodrigo racing onto Marc Roca’s pass down the inside left channel and angling a low drive past Lloris and in off the far post.
We refused to lie down though and showed great character in the final 10 minutes, levelling it up yet again on 81 minutes, Bentancur controlling and firing home to make it 3-3 and, with the atmosphere cranked up, we broke away with Kane finding Kulusevski, who did superbly well to get to the byline and cut back for Bentancur to drill in a dramatic winner.
'A big, big effort'
Reflecting on a dramatic end to this first part of the season, Antonio told SPURSPLAY: "It was a big, big effort. It was the last game... to play 13 games in a row in 43 days was really, really tough. We lost a lot of energy, not just physical energy, but also mental energy.
"To be qualified first in our group in the Champions League and to stay in a good position in the table, after this part of the season, it means, first of all, we made a big, big effort and secondly, we’re working very well, me, the staff and especially the players are showing to be really professional to face this period."
Reaction on SPURSPLAY
Highlights on SPURSPLAY
Spurs 4-3 Leeds United
Spurs (3-4-3): Lloris (c), Dier, Lenglet (Sanchez 57), Davies, Royal (Doherty 57), Bentancur, Hojbjerg, Perisic, Kulusevski (Lucas 89), Richarlison (Bissouma 69), Kane. Substitutes (not used): Forster, Spence, Tanganga, Skipp, Bryan.
Leeds (4-2-3-1): Meslier, Kristensen (Joseph 89), Koch, Cooper (c), Struijk, Roca (Ayling 79), Adams, Gnonto (Greenwood 46), Aaronson, Summerville, Rodrigo (Gelhardt 89). Substitutes (not used): Robles, Firpo, Llorente, Gyabi, Perkins.
Match data
Goals: Spurs – Kane 26, Davies 51, Bentancur 81, 83; Leeds – Summerville 10, Rodrigo 43, 76.
Yellow cards: Spurs – Bentancur; Leeds – Roca, Adams.
Red card: Leeds - Adams.
Referee: Michael Salisbury.
Venue: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Weather: Sunny, gentle breeze, 16 degrees.
Attendance: 61,667.