Leeds United ended a six-match winless run in style on Saturday, as substitute Noah Okafor struck 97 seconds after coming on to beat Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 at Elland Road.
The Swiss forward came off the bench in the 77th minute and found the net two minutes later, driving a low shot past Antonin Kinsky from the edge of the penalty area. The goal lifted Leeds above Spurs into eighth place in the Premier League table, and ended Tottenham’s run of three straight league wins.
Okafor winner in 97 seconds
Okafor replaced Lukas Nmecha in the 77th minute, with Harry Wilson coming on at the same time for Ao Tanaka. The two substitutes combined for the winner almost at once. A throw-in was headed on by Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Wilson pushed the ball into Okafor’s path, and the striker skipped past one challenge before finishing confidently.
Okafor pulled his shirt off as he celebrated in front of the home fans, and the referee booked him for it. He later said he only wanted to help the team. “I came in, all I want is to help the team as much as I can. I’m of course happy about the goal but more happy about the three points,” he said.
Leeds had pushed hard after the break before the goal arrived. Calvert-Lewin’s header was blocked by Dominic Solanke, who had come on for the injured Tel, and Nico Elvedi nodded wide on the follow-up. Calvert-Lewin then set up Tanaka, who sent his shot high over the bar. Kinsky kept Spurs level with a wonderful stop from Sean Longstaff’s swivel shot in the 76th minute, but he had no chance three minutes later.
Spurs nearly stole a point at the end. James Trafford, the Leeds goalkeeper, flung himself down to his left to save a header from Jan Paul van Hecke in the final minute, and the home side held on.
Bogle escape sparks VAR row
The biggest talking point came in the 34th minute, when Jayden Bogle caught Mathys Tel with a late tackle. Bogle’s studs landed on the trailing ankle of the Tottenham forward, leaving Tel writhing on the ground in pain. The video assistant referee spent more than four minutes checking the challenge for a possible red card for serious foul play.
In the end, no action was taken at all. Bogle was not even booked for the challenge. The Premier League Match Centre later said the on-field call of no red card had been checked and confirmed, describing it as a reckless challenge with a lack of speed going into it. Tel tried to carry on after treatment but went down again soon after, and he had to come off in the 43rd minute, hobbling off to be replaced by Solanke.
It was the second VAR call of the first half to go against Spurs. Early in the game, the officials checked a handball claim against Mateus Fernandes inside the penalty area, but no penalty was given. The Match Centre said the ball had struck the very top of the arm, in what officials call the green zone.
Tottenham manager Roberto de Zerbi refused to blame the officials. “I have big confidence in the referee. Nothing changes if he goes to the monitor,” he said. His complaint was with his own side instead: “We deserved to lose the game in the second half and didn’t play like we can.”
Leeds climb into top eight
| Result | Leeds United 1-0 Tottenham Hotspur |
| Scorer | Noah Okafor (79th minute) |
| Venue | Elland Road, Leeds |
| Leeds points | 14 (8th place) |
| Tottenham points | 12 (10th place) |
| Spurs winning run | Ended at three matches |
The win was Leeds’ first since a 4-1 rout of Newcastle on 14 September, and their first victory in six games. It was only their second league win of the season, and their first over Spurs since May 2021.
For Tottenham, the defeat ended a revival. They had won three league games in a row after failing to win any of their first six matches of the season, and this was their first loss in five matches. They slipped to 10th in the table, two points behind Leeds.
One small piece of history still came Spurs’ way. Andrew Robertson equalled the record for most Premier League appearances by a Scottish player, reaching 341 and drawing level with Darren Fletcher.
Why win matters for Leeds
This was more than three points for Leeds. Almost two months had passed since their last league win, and the pressure was building on Daniel Farke’s side. A home game against a team in form was a hard place to end that run, and for much of the first half it looked like another frustrating afternoon.
Instead, the win changes the picture. Leeds now sit in the top half of the table, above a Tottenham side that had found its rhythm, and they go into the international break with belief restored. Okafor summed up the mood in the dressing room: “We knew it wasn’t going to be easy. Tottenham were on a really good run. In the end, it was a hard fight but we had some chances, especially in the second half. The home fans pushed us.”
For Spurs, the lesson is clear from their own manager. De Zerbi said his team did not play like a top team after the break, and lacked the right character and physicality. The Bogle decision will be talked about, but Spurs know the second-half performance, not the referee, cost them the game.
Okafor scored in the 79th minute, only 97 seconds after coming on as a substitute in the 77th minute. Harry Wilson and Dominic Calvert-Lewin were involved in the build-up to the goal.
The video assistant referee checked Bogle’s 34th-minute tackle on Mathys Tel for more than four minutes and confirmed the on-field decision of no red card. Officials judged it a reckless challenge rather than serious foul play, and Bogle was not even booked.
Leeds moved into eighth place with 14 points, two points ahead of Tottenham, who dropped to 10th with 12 points. Leeds’ win also ended Spurs’ run of three straight league victories.
