Tottenham Hotspur's season of self-destruction took another twist as they squandered a chance to open up a four-point gap in the Premier League relegation battle, drawing 1-1 with Leeds United at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Mathys Tel's spectacular first-half strike had given Spurs the lead, but a moment of madness from the young forward gifted Leeds a penalty that Dominic Calvert-Lewin converted to earn a point.
Richarlison missed a golden opportunity to put Spurs in a comfort zone, blazing over from close range when a goal would have made it 2-0. Head coach Roberto De Zerbi, visibly frustrated throughout, saw his side fail to build on their lead and ultimately pay the price for individual errors.
Tel's moment of recklessness came after 74 minutes when he attempted a bicycle kick in his own penalty area, catching Leeds captain Ethan Ampadu in the head. The VAR confirmed the penalty, and De Zerbi could only watch as Calvert-Lewin slammed the ball home.
The Italian coach, known for his combustible temperament, was booked for repeatedly leaving his technical area and showed his anguish as the game wore on. 'We didn't play a great game - we played a good game,' De Zerbi said after the match. 'I think we deserved to win anyway but maybe the pressure, the crucial game, the crucial part of the season, we suffered too much.'
De Zerbi defended his young forward, saying: 'He is young and is a talent. I will kiss him and hug him. He doesn't need too many words. He was sorry for the mistake. It can happen to a young player.' Tel had earlier almost scored an own goal with a wayward clearance, underlining his erratic performance.
Goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky emerged as a hero for Spurs, making two superb saves to keep them in the game. He denied Joe Rodon's header in the first half and showed stunning reflexes to turn Sean Longstaff's stoppage-time shot onto the bar. Those saves could prove vital in the relegation fight.
The result leaves Spurs just one point above the bottom three, with West Ham United having lost to Arsenal on Sunday. If West Ham win their game in hand at Newcastle, Spurs will drop back into the relegation zone when they travel to Chelsea on 19 May. Their final home game against Everton could then be a winner-takes-all survival showdown.
James Maddison made his first appearance since a pre-season knee injury, looking lively and feeling he had won a late penalty, but replays showed Leeds defender Lukas Nmecha had touched the ball. De Zerbi's frustration was clear as he sent on the midfielder in desperation for a winner.
The tension around the stadium was unbearable, with 13 minutes of added time increasing the drama. De Zerbi's body language screamed frustration, and everyone of a Spurs persuasion knows that their battle to avoid an embarrassing drop to the Championship now looks set to go to the final day of this chaotic season.
Based on reporting from BBC Sport.
