Tottenham Hotspur vs Leeds United
Leeds United have rediscovered a rich vein of form in the Premier League over the last few weeks. The Whites ended 2020 with a bang as they blasted five goals past West Brom in midweek, which is their third win in the last four matches.
Marcelo Bielsa’s side will now seek to carry over that form into their first game of 2021, which will come away to Tottenham Hotspur.
Spurs have had quite a wobble over the last month, which has seen them drop down to seventh in the table. Nevertheless, the Premier League 2020 betting odds will still have Spurs as big favourites over visiting Leeds.
Talking Points
Spurs in a slump
It’s been a rough month for Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham. Their recent Premier League 2020 results have seen them go winless in their last four games (two losses, two draws) since beating Arsenal 2-0 in the North London derby.
Granted, they lost away to defending champions Liverpool in the last minute as well as against Leicester at home. But they also conceded late equalisers in away draws to Crystal Palace and Wolves, which are disappointing Premier League 2020 results.
Tottenham have yet to face Fulham as of this writing, and Mourinho may make some rotations to his squad in anticipation of the quick turnaround against Leeds.
While Fulham will be all too happy to defend deep and play for a draw, Leeds will be aggressive and take the game to Spurs.
Leeds’ style will allow Mourinho to set up with his preferred counterattacking system, which has been a major factor in their success this season.
Harry Kane and Son-Heung Min have been absolutely deadly on those counterattacks, and they will have ample space to operate against Leeds, who will leave gaps in defence.
Perhaps the more pressing concern for Spurs will be whether their defence, which has been conceding late goals recently, can hold up against a Leeds team that will attack until the final whistle.
Leeds back in goalscoring form
Leeds United have suddenly rediscovered their goalscoring touch. They hammered West Brom 5-0 away from home in midweek, the second time in four matches that they’ve hit five goals. They also won three of those four matches to rise up to 11th in the table.
Surprisingly, leading scorer Patrick Bamford (10 goals) – who scored the lone goal in their 1-0 win over Burnley – wasn’t among the goals against West Brom, but he did contribute an assist as he continues his fine form this season.
The likes of Rodrigo, Ezgjan Alioski, and Jack Harrison have also been among the goals of late, which has helped lift the burden from Bamford’s shoulders.
Leeds don’t seem to alter their aggressive, attacking style whether they’re at home or away. That mentality can lead to big wins like the ones they had against Newcastle and West Brom, or blowout defeats like their 6-2 demolition at the hands of Manchester United at Old Trafford.
But despite those blowout defeats, Marcelo Bielsa is unlikely to make any adjustments for their visit to Tottenham, which could leave them vulnerable to counterattacks.
It remains to be seen whether captain Liam Cooper will be able to return to the starting line-up after missing the last two games. If he does miss out, Luke Ayling and Pascal Struijk are likely to remain Leeds’ central defensive partnership.
History
This will be the first Premier League meeting between Tottenham and Leeds since 2004. Spurs went undefeated in their previous five meetings, with four wins.
However, they also met three times in the FA Cup. Leeds were able to force a replay in 2010 with a 2-2 draw at White Hart Lane, but Spurs won 3-1 at Elland Road. Leeds then won their most recent meeting in 2013.
Betting Tip
 |
 |
Tottenham Hotspur vs Leeds United | Leeds United Asian Handicap +0.75 @ 1.85 |
| January 2, 20:30 (GMT+8) |
SBOTOP odds have Tottenham installed as 1.80 favourites at home, with Leeds priced at 3.75. Meanwhile, a draw is 3.60.
The Whites shouldn’t be underestimated, though. As they’ve shown in recent matches, they are more than capable of smashing in the goals. It’s keeping them out that’s been the problem for Marcelo Bielsa’s men.
But with Spurs’ recent struggles, coupled with the fact that they are slightly the more fatigued side having played more recently, Leeds have a decent chance at making things quite competitive at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR ( ) BETS ARE WORTH: |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
 = €20 (Highly confident) |
= €10 (CONFIDENT) |
= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT) |
|
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
●●●
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE FOOTBALL STORIES & ODDS
Stay updated with everything sports and betting.
Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
