Tottenham host Leeds at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Monday night with a chance to move four points clear of the relegation zone, a swing that would alter the tone of their season in one game.
Before kickoff, Tottenham sat 17th, one point outside the drop zone, and they were looking for a third straight win after beating Wolves 1-0 and Aston Villa 2-1. That run matters because Tottenham had not won three matches in a row at any point earlier in the campaign, and they still have two games left after this one.
The fixture also comes with Leeds already safe after their survival in the top flight was guaranteed on Sunday, which leaves Tottenham carrying the bigger immediate burden. The game is their match in hand, and for a side that has been dragged through a season shaped by injuries, the numbers around this one say more than the table does.
Roberto De Zerbi said there were no fresh injury concerns before the match, but he also ruled out Guglielmo Vicario and left the door open on Dominic Solanke. “No. I’m happy because we are working well with all players. Another very important week. We have no problems,” he said, before adding of Solanke: “He’s improving very quickly. I don’t know, for this game, I don’t know if he can be available. We hope for the next game in Stamford Bridge.” If Solanke is not available, he and Vicario would join six others on the injury list: Wilson Odobert, Xavi Simons, Cristian Romero, Ben Davies, Mohammed Kudus and Dejan Kulusevski.
De Zerbi also singled out James Maddison, saying he was watching “a top, top player” and that the midfielder may not be ready yet to play because of his physical condition rather than the rhythm or intensity of the game. That is the tension around Tottenham right now: they have found form, but they have not yet escaped the weight of availability problems that have defined their 2025/26 campaign.
Against Aston Villa, De Zerbi made four changes from the team that beat Wolves, with Destiny Udogie returning from injury to replace Djed Spence at left-back and Joao Palhinha coming in for Yves Bissouma. The expected lineup for Leeds points to another reshuffle, with Kinsky in goal; Porro, Danso, van de Ven and Udogie across the back; Palhinha and Bentancur in midfield; Kolo Muani, Gallagher and Tel behind Richarlison.
Tottenham’s season has left them with little margin for error, and Monday night gives them a simple chance to change the table and the mood at once. If they take it, the pressure eases fast. If they do not, the final two matches start to look far heavier than their number suggests.
