Tottenham drop points in relegation battle after tense draw with Leeds: Spurs' survival still uncertain

By bypassing their limited midfield, Spurs were able to get the ball into positions where the pressure was on their opponent. When the ball gets into the final third, there has been a clear upswing in Tottenham's ability to win the ball. In the first 33 league games of the season, this side won possession in the attacking third three and a half times per game. On Monday, they won it back five times, in the last three, they are averaging over six recoveries in the most dangerous area of the pitch. A better attack might have turned the field tilt into more chances than the odd snapshot here and there, but at least the ball was actually getting into the attacking third and semi-frequently staying there. Small victories and all that.

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For a time, this had the look of a big victory. A half-cleared corner, a brilliant strike by Tel and Tottenham had momentum on their side. Again, though, these intangibles aren't much use when the players aren't able to maximize them. Richarlison should have done better when teed up by Randal Kolo Muani soon after the opener but there were few other openings. It's the story of the season all over again for Spurs. What they would give for Dejan Kulusevski, Mohamed Kudus, even Dominic Solanke. Even another 10 minutes of Maddison, whose appeals for an injury-time penalty were swiftly dismissed by Jarred Gillett and his VAR, would have done nicely.

Without the cutting edge to supplement their control, Tottenham were always vulnerable to one of those moments. The sort where this young, technically questionable squad just make the wrong decision under pressure. You know, a loose pass in midfield, a pressing trigger missed, an attempt to bicycle kick a corner to safety having seen Ethan Ampadu charging forward to compete for the ball, headfirst. Relatable, predictable stuff like that. Whether Tel's boot made much of a connection with Ampadu's head or his shoulder, you cannot complain when you are punished in the harshest terms for such indiscretion.

In the final 15 minutes, Spurs' fate was in the lap of the gods. Perhaps they will rue the penalty that wasn't when Maddison tumbled over the leg of Lukas Nmecha. Perhaps Kinsky's excellent save from Sean Longstaff will prove to have made amends for what happened against Atletico Madrid.

For now uncertainty reigns. Will Chelsea and Everton rouse themselves for the outside prospect of European football? Will they need to given that Tottenham couldn't put away Leeds? What of West Ham, who could just take six points from six if they play as well as they did against Arsenal? All that you can be sure of is that right now Spurs do not have much firepower if this does become a shootout for survival.

And yet still this result was better than it might have been. Crucially it was better than West Ham's. Whether it was good enough, well that might not be a question we can answer until the season is over.