LEEDS, England (AP) - Tottenham is facing another season out of the Champions League after losing at Leeds two years to the day after reaching the final of Europe’s elite competition.
Being beaten 3-1 by Leeds on Saturday left Tottenham five points from fourth place with three games to go and having played one more than Chelsea.
Dropping points at Elland Road was perhaps no surprise for a team under the interim coaching of Ryan Mason following Jose Mourinho’s firing. Leeds has now gone unbeaten against the “Big Six” at home in its first season back in the Premier League after 16 years. Marcelo Bielsa’s side has also drawn with Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United and Manchester City, and sits in ninth place.
Leeds is on the rise again. It was exactly 20 years ago that Leeds lost a Champions League semifinal - on May 8, the same day in 2019 that Tottenham beat Ajax to reach the final for the first time.
Mauricio Pochettino has long departed Tottenham - he went months after the loss in the final to Liverpool - and the north London club will now just have to try to clinch a Europa League spot.
Leeds was rewarded for taking the game to Tottenham in the 13th minute. Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris saved brilliantly after Jack Harrison’s low cross had deflected off Sergio Reguilon and Stuart Dallas fired the rebound into the roof of the net.
Tottenham hit back to equalize with its first shot on target on the counterattack in the 25th minute. Dele Alli’s clever through ball carved Leeds open and Son Heung-min raced clear to side-foot home.
Harrison’s drive forced Lloris into another save before Harry Kane thought he had given the visitors the lead.
The striker combined brilliantly with Alli and Son, but his cool, dinked finish was ruled out after the video assistant referee confirmed he had been marginally offside.
It was a gripping, end-to-end game. Robin Koch’s header was deflected wide and then Leeds regained the lead in the 42nd minute through Bamford’s 15th Premier League goal of the season. Ezgjan Alioski charged into the box on the overlap and his inch-perfect cut-back was steered home by the Leeds striker from close range.
Kane had another effort ruled out in the second half - this time he was clearly offside - and then struck off target before Son crashed a shot into the side-netting.
Kane’s free-kick then clipped the top of the crossbar, but back stormed Leeds as Toby Alderweireld’s brilliant last-ditch block thwarted Mateusz Klich.
Leeds then made sure of all three points with in the 84th when Raphinha’s cross was met by a thumping finish from fellow substitute Rodrigo.
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