Kudus fires Spurs to win with first goal since £55m transfer

MOHAMMED KUDUS' first Tottenham goal sealed all three points - with a helping hand from poor old Pascal Struijk.

The Leeds centre-back's two untimely interventions kept the bandwagon rolling under Thomas Frank and lifted Spurs temporarily to second.

6 Mohammed Kudus struck after half-time with a smart finish into the bottom corner Credit: Getty

6 He celebrated his first Spurs goal in trademark style by sitting in a ballboy's chair Credit: AFP

And they ended an unwanted and incredible record of the visitors having lost their last seven games before heading into an international break.

The record books won’t show anything more than goals for Mathys Tel and Mohammed Kudus.

But make no mistake, without the crucial – and calamitous – clips off Struijk, there’s every chance neither would have ended up in the back of the net.

Firstly when Tel’s strike, powerful as it was, flew into the corner as Struijk stretched out a desperate leg to try and block.

That was enough to take it past Karl Darlow and into the corner, even though the keeper should probably have done better.

Then, after Noah Okafor had levelled, by doing exactly the same to the Kudus drive from the edge of the box.

And for all that was cruel fortune on Leeds, in fairness it did give Spurs a victory they just about deserved – even if they did make heavy weather of it.

Although you’ll have a hard time convincing home fans, because they certainly had enough chances to have snatched something.

Starting with Joe Rodon’s early header, as well, which rattled the woodwork as Leeds flew out of the traps.

Mind you, Spurs had their moments too, such as the Destiny Udogie cross shot that thumped into Karl Darlow’s chest.

But the Leeds keeper was left helpless on 23 minutes, when Frenchman Tel put Spurs ahead.

Rodrigo Bentancur sent him away with a perfectly pitched ball, even if the defence made it easy with such a flat line.

Tel took it in his stride, and his shot found the corner courtesy of a deflection off Struijk. Strike one to Spurs.

It should have been two as well, when Leeds were wide open again, but Kudus shanked his first time strike woefully wide.

In between times Dominic Calvert- Lewin blew a great chance for the home side to level, blazing over after Rodrigo Bentancur’s sloppy pass.

An alarm bell for the visitors? Well if so it went unheeded, because ten minutes before the break Leeds did just that.

This time Calvert-Lewin had a supporting – but vital – role in teeing up Jayden Bogle’s delivery for Brendan Aaronson.

His snapshot clipped the calf of the turning Micky ven de Ven to make life even more awkward for Guglielmo Vicario.

Even so, having readjusted to get a hand to the ball, the Spurs keeper should have pushed it further from his goal.

Instead it merely set up the waiting Noah Okafor to tap in the simplest of equalisers.

We were inches away from another famous “beach ball incident” as well, akin to Darren Bent’s memorable winner for Sunderland against Liverpool in 2009.

Yet this time the ball was already in the back of the net before one appeared from behind the goal and bobbled into the area. Small mercies, eh?

Not for Tottenham, though, who had gone from easy street to rocky road in an instant.

And even if some may say easy street is stretching it a bit, they certainly weren’t fighting a backs to the wall battle.

You sensed they soon could be mind, as Leeds – with an unexpected gust in their sails – sniffed blood.

They may have got it, too, had Longstaff not been leaning backwards as he snapped a shot too high after Pedro Porro over-ran the ball.

Yet Tottenham weren’t exactly stuck in their own half either, and when Odobert looped over a cross only the crossbar denied Tel’s header.

It was fast, it was frantic and at times it threatened to get a little too physical. The one thing missing, though, was finesse, on a consistent level at least.

Edge of the seat stuff, nonetheless, and Vicario made up for any shortcomings with the Leeds leveller by keeping out Calvert-Lewin’s shot on the turn.

He deserved even more credit as well, given the strike clipped off Cristian Romero before the keeper blocked with his foot.

How vital that proved, because 12 minutes after the break Spurs nosed ahead again – and once more with a strike helped on its way by the Leeds centre back.

Admittedly this time not with such a hefty direction-changing intervention as Kudus danced across the box before letting fly.

But still enough to leave Darlow flat-footed as it pinged into the corner to edge Thomas Frank’s men ahead.

Frank’s first win, incidentally, in six showdowns with his old managerial oppo Daniel Farke.

Even though it took a last-gasp full length stop from Vicario to deny substitute Joel Piro.

At least his time he didn't have a deflection to contend with...

6 Mathys Tel celebrates giving Spurs the lead Credit: Getty

6 Tel's rocket took a nick off a Leeds defender before flying past Karl Darlow in goal Credit: Getty

6 Summer signing Noah Okafor pulled Leeds level before the break as he tapped in from Vicario's save Credit: PA

6 Bizarrely there looked to be two balls on the pitch as he scored - but one was an inflatable thrown from the crowd Credit: Reuters