Tottenham Hotspur host Leeds United at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on a night that could pull Spurs four points clear of the drop zone. Roberto De Zerbi, Tottenham's third man at the helm this season, has asked his players to put the last two weeks behind them and start fast against a Leeds side he says are already safe.
The stakes are obvious in north London after West Ham United lost at home to Arsenal on Sunday, leaving Spurs with a chance to ease away from the third relegation spot. The home crowd also has reason to believe the escape route is opening after two away wins, at Wolverhampton Wanderers and then Aston Villa last weekend, gave Tottenham some breathing room in a dismal campaign.
De Zerbi said Spurs must keep the same spirit and the same style of play if they want another win tonight, and insisted they need to play football rather than try to protect what they have. He said Tottenham played very well in Birmingham and had wanted to keep the same first XI, adding that the squad on the bench gives him options. His message was simple: run, fight, work and show quality, because nothing changes in the Premier League just because the table looks kinder for one night.
Leeds arrive with their safety already secured and with form that has lasted through the spring. De Zerbi pointed to their last defeat on 1st March, their win at Old Trafford and a run he described as fantastic over the last two months. Even Jermain Defoe, looking at the match from a different angle, said standards matter at this level even when a side has little left to play for beyond pride.
That is what gives tonight its edge. Phil McNulty said the home fans sense salvation might just be at hand after a dismal campaign, but Tottenham still need the points, and De Zerbi has warned they cannot think in terms of closing the game before 90 minutes plus extra time. If Spurs want the pressure to ease, they have to earn it in real time, against a Leeds side that has already shown it can spoil a night when least expected.
