Leeds United 1 Tottenham 0: Second-half Noah Okafor strike ends 21-game run in brilliant win

Leeds United ended their early kick-off misery with a hard-earned 1-0 win at home to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday lunchtime. Substitute Noah Okafor netted the winner on 79 minutes to win a Premier League game before 3pm at the 22nd time of asking.

Daniel Farke made two changes from the side that started against Bournemouth last weekend. Sean Longstaff and Lukas Nmecha replaced Daniel James and Harry Wilson, Leeds reverting to a 3-5-2 formation with two out-and-out strikers.

Leeds started on the front foot and had claims for an early penalty after Mateus Fernandes leant into a cross. VAR checked the incident but replays showed it came off the Tottenham midfielder’s shoulder, rather than below the sleeve.

Tottenham had the games’ first decent chance on 25 minutes, Archie Gray driving through midfield before passing out to Mathys Tel on the left. He then fed Omar Marmoush in the middle but the Egyptian’s deflected shot was claimed by James Trafford.

Jayden Bogle then had a nervy moment after a seemingly innocuous coming together with Tel that left the winger writhing in pain. Replays showed the Leeds defender accidentally stood on his opponent’s Achilles and a lengthy VAR check eventually followed.

Bogle was eventually cleared of serious foul play and spurred on by Elland Road, Leeds created their first decent chance. The wing-back crossed for Lukas Nmecha in the box but his header was directed straight at goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky.

Gray then had a chance to score against his former team but couldn’t react quickly enough to make contact with a dangerous Mohammed Kudus cross. Tel’s injury meant there were six minutes of added-time, albeit both sides were happy to go into the break level.

Melvin Bard replaced Gudmundsson at half-time and Leeds started the second-half well. First a Bogle cross was deflected just past his own net by Jan Paul van Hecke before Nico Elvedi directed a header just wide from the resulting corner.

Ao Tanaka then had Leeds’ best chance of the game a few minutes later after playing Calvert-Lewin through. The striker cut back onto his left and squared the ball but a bouncing touch made it difficult and the Japan international skied his effort.

Nmecha and Ethan Ampadu both saw shots blocked around the hour mark as Leeds had their tails up. Tottenham attempted to calm things down a little but Sean Longstaff then forced Kinsky into a great reflex save to tip his effort over the bar on 76 minutes.

Farke made two attacking changes not long after, with Harry Wilson and Noah Okafor replacing Lukas Nmecha and Ao Tanaka. That decision paid instant dividends when the pair combined from a Melvin Bard throw-in, Swiss winger Okafor firing beyond Kinsky for 1-0.

Leeds then appeared content to sit on their lead and counter, Calvert-Lewin chasing a ball over the top but meeting it too wide for a chance to arrive. But Tottenham pushed and James Trafford was forced into a good save to deny a Van Hecke header from a free-kick as four minutes of added-time began.

In the end that proved to be the away side’s only late chance, with Leeds keeping another clean sheet to claim all three points. They go into the November international break off the back of a brilliant win.