Notebook – Leeds United v Spurs

After disappointment at Burnley on Wednesday, our Premier League campaign continues in earnest this lunchtime as we take on Leeds United at Elland Road (12.30pm kick-off).

Here in the Notebook, take a look at all the key points of note ahead of the game…

1 - Edging Leeds

In recent times, this is a fixture we have generally enjoyed. Despite Leeds edging this match in the history of the Premier League, 11 wins to our 10, in our last eight meetings in the competition, we have come out on top in 75 per cent of them (W6 D1 L1). And that includes victory in our last encounter with the Yorkshire side as we defeated them 2-1 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in November.

2 - Last time out

That aforementioned victory over Leeds was also Antonio Conte’s first domestic win as our Head Coach as we came from behind to defeat the Whites in his third game in charge. Conceding to Marcelo Bielsa’s side at the end of a difficult first half – Dan James converting from close range on the stroke of half-time – we rallied valiantly after the restart and went on to take all three points. Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg got us level just before the hour mark, stroking home from the edge of the area, before Sergio Reguilon then tapped home the winner as he reacted quickest to the rebound off Eric Dier’s woodwork-striking free-kick to get his first goal in a Spurs shirt.

Highlights: Spurs 2-1 Leeds United

3 - Elland Road difficulties

Despite our recent joys over Leeds in the Premier League, it is well documented that we have struggled in the competition at Elland Road. Having travelled to Leeds’ storied home on 13 occasions since 1992, we have only been able to take maximum points there twice – a 3-1 win in May, 1996, and a 1-0 victory in January, 2004 – while we have been beaten on eight of our visits. One of those defeats came on our last visit to West Yorkshire as in May, 2021, we fell to a 3-1 reverse.

4 - Capital benefits

It is not just us who have struggled at Elland Road in the Premier League era though, as history suggests sides from London in general have found their travels to Leeds difficult. While a significant proportion of Premier League sides are from the capital – six in 2021/22 (Arsenal, Brentford, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Spurs and West Ham) – not since the 1995/96 season have three sides from London won in Beeston in the same campaign. So far this season though, both West Ham (2-1 in September) and Arsenal (4-1 in December) have already picked up victories there. Could we become the third London side to do so this term?

5 - Home troubles

And, while we and London sides have had difficulties at Elland Road over the years, Leeds United are currently finding some of their own problems at home. In their last four matches at the 125-year-old stadium, the Whites have come unstuck three times (versus Arsenal, Newcastle United and Manchester United) – that’s as many as they had lost in their previous 17 outings at home. There is some comfort for Leeds in the history books ahead of this game though as, while they may have lost each of their last two home matches, they have not lost three on the spin at Elland Road in the Premier League in 19 years.

6 - Lunchtime losses

In recent years, we have encountered difficulties in 12.30pm kick-offs in the Premier League. In our last 12 matches that have been played in the lunchtime slot, we have lost eight of them, winning just three and drawing the other. Such disappointment came in our last 12.30 kick-off back in September as we fell at Crystal Palace (3-0) – our first defeat of the term.

Leeds, meanwhile, have never lost a Saturday 12.30pm kick-off in Premier League history. While they have only played three such fixtures, one of those games came against us and it was the West Yorkshire outfit that came out on top, defeating us 3-1 at Elland Road in May, 2021.

7 - Saturday highs

Antonio Conte holds a unique record when it comes to Saturday matchdays in English football. Of all managers to have taken charge of at least 10 games in the Premier League, Antonio Conte has the best win rate in games played on Saturdays (76 per cent – W28 D3 L6). So far as our Head Coach, Antonio is yet to lose on a Saturday – all six of his such defeats to date came during his time in charge of Chelsea and, notably, at stadiums in London.

8 - Dangerman Raphinha

Raphinha has proven to be quite the threat for Leeds United since he arrived in Yorkshire. Joining from Rennes in the summer of 2020, the forward has scored 15 goals in White and contributed 11 assists. A player with a fine strike and the ability to score from a variety of positions on the field, the Brazilian has nine goals to his name so far this campaign alone and six of those have come at Elland Road. Of Leeds’ 15 goals at home this season, the 25-year-old has been involved in 46 per cent of them (seven – six scored, one assisted).

9 - Harry’s county

Harry Kane loves an away day in Yorkshire. Despite having played in the county on just eight occasions in the Premier League, Harry has 10 goals to his name. First scoring in Yorkshire in the competition back in November, 2014, as we defeated Hull 2-1 at the KCOM Stadium, the striker went on to score a hat-trick against the Tigers in May, 2017, before scoring braces on each of his trips to Huddersfield (September, 2017 and 2018) and bagging a goal on each of his appearances at Sheffield United’s Bramall Lane (July, 2020, and January, 2021). Only Alan Shearer (16) has scored more Premier League goals in Yorkshire than the England international.

10 - Finding the Leeds net

While Harry loves to score a goal in Yorkshire, it is clear that we enjoy striking against Leeds. In each of our last 11 Premier League encounters with the Whites, we have found the back of the net, scoring 20 goals in that time. It is currently 22 years since we last failed to score against Leeds in a top-flight game with us last drawing a blank against them in February, 2000, as we fell 1-0 to this afternoon’s hosts.