After delivering one of their strongest performances of the season against Aston Villa to climb out of the relegation zone, Tottenham Hotspur now face a Leeds United side that have eased their own relegation worries with a remarkable run of form. Here are the key themes to watch ahead of Monday’s match (20:00 BST).
**Away form boosting Spurs’ survival hopes**
For the first time in months, Tottenham fans have genuine reason for optimism. Consecutive victories have lifted the mood at the club, pushed them out of the bottom three, and handed them control over their own relegation fate. Their display against Aston Villa was particularly impressive, as they pressed high from the opening whistle and delivered a committed performance that left supporters wondering why such intensity had been missing all season. Roberto De Zerbi has made a huge impact on both players and fans, and the renewed belief in the squad is evident.
Remarkably, Spurs enter this weekend sitting third in the away form table, trailing only title rivals Arsenal and Manchester City—though they have played more games than some teams below them. A staggering 70.3% of their total points have come on the road, the highest proportion of away points earned by any team in a single Premier League season. Historically, such an imbalance tends to spell trouble.
The reason for their league position is no mystery. Their dreadful home record at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium tells the story: just two wins, 11 points, and only 20 goals scored in 17 matches. They have lost 10 league games at home in consecutive seasons, and another defeat would equal the club record of 11 losses at home, set in the 1991-92 campaign.
On a positive note, Tottenham boast a strong recent record against Leeds. The Yorkshire side have not won on any of their last six visits to Spurs since 2001, and have won only two of their last 15 meetings across all competitions.
**Leeds close to securing safety**
Not long ago, this fixture was seen as a massive relegation six-pointer for Leeds. But their superb form has carried them to the brink of safety. No team has ever been relegated with 43 points in a 38-game Premier League season, and Leeds could officially secure safety on Sunday evening if West Ham lose to Arsenal.
Daniel Farke’s side are unbeaten in their last six league matches. Avoiding defeat here would see them become the first newly promoted team since Middlesbrough in 1998-99 to record two separate unbeaten runs of seven or more games in the same top-flight campaign. Previously, they achieved a similar streak from December to early January.
Only six Premier League teams have collected more points than Leeds’ 32 since the start of December. Furthermore, only Manchester City, Manchester United, and Bournemouth have lost fewer top-flight matches than Leeds’ four in the 22 games within that span—a remarkable turnaround after losing eight of their first 13 games back in the top flight.
Leeds have been particularly impressive on the road lately, going six away games without defeat, including a famous victory at Old Trafford. Their season total of 47 goals is level with fifth-placed Aston Villa, and they have scored three or more times in an impressive eight different matches, a tally surpassed only by Manchester City (12) and Brentford (nine).