Tottenham Hotspur took a vital step towards preserving their Premier League status with a 1-1 home draw against Leeds United in London on May 12, moving two points clear of relegation rival West Ham. Mathys Tels put Spurs ahead early in the second half, but his later foul on Ethan Ampadu conceded a penalty that Dominic Calvert-Lewin calmly converted, leaving Tottenham’s fate still to be decided as they prepare for fixtures at Chelsea and at home to Everton. West Ham travel to Newcastle before welcoming Leeds on the final day; one of those two sides will join already-relegated Burnley and Wolves in next season’s Championship.
Spurs dominated the first half in possession and shots but only broke the deadlock five minutes after the break. Pedro Porro’s corner was cleared to an unmarked Tels, who struck from about 20 metres into the far corner for his first goal since Jan. 7. Tels then became the match-turning figure 24 minutes later when a high foot was ruled to have struck Ethan Ampadu’s head; the referee awarded a spot-kick and Calvert-Lewin, who had been denied a first-half penalty after a video review, dispatched the penalty with confidence.
The final phase of the game was tense, with an extended 15 minutes of added time and no further goals, leaving Spurs able to console themselves that their destiny remains in their own hands. “We played a good game but there was big pressure,” Tottenham coach Roberto De Zerbi said. “We didn’t play calmly. We wanted to win immediately without passes. When you are fighting for relegation you can’t play every game calmly. Leeds played a good game and we hope they play like that against West Ham in the next game.” De Zerbi noted Spurs have taken eight of a possible 12 points since his debut defeat at Sunderland on April 12 and added: “We deserve to stay up. We will fight until the end. Even if we had won today it wouldn’t have been finished yet.”
In the Championship, Hull secured a place in the playoff final after second-half goals from Mo Belloumi and Joe Gelhardt gave them a 2-0 win over Millwall in London. Belloumi broke the deadlock in the 64th minute with a left-foot strike and Gelhardt sealed the tie with a low finish that beat the Millwall keeper. Hull now await the winner of Southampton v Middlesbrough — that tie was 0-0 in the first leg and the return is scheduled for Tuesday — with the Championship playoff final set for Wembley on May 23. (AP)
Original Source: https://theshillongtimes.com/2026/05/13/spurs-draw-with-leeds-for-priceless-point-in-survival-fight/
Category: SPORTS
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Publish Date: 2026-05-13 06:04:00
