Okafor's late goal gives Leeds United 1-0 win over Tottenham
Noah Okafor scored in the 79th minute at Elland Road as Leeds United beat Tottenham 1-0, a result that breaks a long run without a win against Spurs.
By Harvey Watkins,
Noah Okafor scored in the 79th minute at Elland Road on Saturday, and it was enough to give Leeds United a 1-0 win over Tottenham on matchday 10 of the Premier League. His was the only goal of the lunchtime kick-off. It gave Leeds a result against Spurs that had eluded them for a long time.
The only goal of the game
The match stayed goalless until late in the second half. Okafor's goal came in the 79th minute, and Leeds held on to that lead until the final whistle.
The scoreline is worth reading on both sides. At one end, a single goal was all Leeds managed, and it came late. At the other, Tottenham did not score at all. Given how often Spurs had found the net against Leeds in recent seasons, that second point may be the more significant of the two.
How it compares with recent meetings
Leeds had not beaten Tottenham in any of their meetings going back to February 2022. The most recent results before Saturday were:
- 11 May 2026: Tottenham 1-1 Leeds United
- 4 Oct 2025: Leeds United 1-2 Tottenham
- 28 May 2023: Leeds United 1-4 Tottenham
- 12 Nov 2022: Tottenham 4-3 Leeds United
- 26 Feb 2022: Leeds United 0-4 Tottenham
Read in order, those results show a gradual shift. The 2022 and 2023 meetings included two heavy home defeats for Leeds, 0-4 and 1-4, and a 4-3 loss in north London that was close on the scoreboard but still went Tottenham's way. When the fixture resumed in October 2025, Leeds lost again at home, but only by a single goal. In May they drew 1-1 away from home. Saturday's win continues that trend.
The home record is the clearest contrast. Each of the three earlier meetings at Elland Road on that list ended in defeat for Leeds, and Tottenham scored at least twice every time. This time Leeds won there without conceding.
The defensive contrast runs through the whole sequence. Tottenham had scored in every one of those earlier meetings, often several times. Keeping them out for a full match is a departure from the recent pattern of this fixture, whatever else is said about the game.
What the result does and does not show
Some caution is due. One result against one opponent is a narrow basis for broad conclusions, and a 1-0 win settled eleven minutes from time is close by nature. A different finish in either penalty area could have changed the outcome, and it would be a stretch to treat a single late goal as proof that the balance between these clubs has decisively changed.
What can be said is that the meetings have become steadily more competitive from Leeds' point of view. They went from heavy defeats, to a narrow defeat, to a draw, and now to a win. Whether that continues is a question for later meetings. For now, Leeds have a home win and a clean sheet against a side that had beaten them comfortably at Elland Road more than once in recent years.