Premier League

TOTTENHAM 4 (Kane 25, Davies 51, Bentancur 81, 83)
LEEDS UNITED 3 (Summerville 10, Rodrigo 43, 76, Adams sent off 87)

WHAT a way to sign off for a six week World Cup enforced break from the domestic agenda.

Tottenham, who were facing a third straight home loss – the first time since 2008 – were forced to come from behind three times this afternoon (Saturday) against a spirited Leeds side.

For all the huff and puff, the nerve-shredding defending, the botched clearances and the lack of overall control, Spurs managed to somehow find a way to score more goals than their lively visitors and end the first instalment of this truncated season with an unlikely spring in their steps.

It was Rodrigo Bentancur who won the game, striking twice in three minutes late on to push Spurs past Leeds.

Speaking after the match Antonio Conte said it was an afternoon of mixed emotions. The Tottenham boss added: “It is the type of game that will make many people happy.

“I have to see positive aspects. The players have shown me character and determination to never give up and keep believing we can win. They have shown this in a lot of games we have been losing and then come back. Never give up is our motto.”

Conte blamed a packed fixture schedule for an autumn that has seen Spurs show fighting spirit in response to making glaring mistakes at the back. “We have played many games in a short space of time,” he said. “It is impossible to work. You have one day to recover and then one day to prepare for the game. It means we have not had the time to work on the tactical aspects.”

And the Italian gave fans a glimmer of excitement for what may happen in January. “If you want to be competitive and considered a title contender, you need players of great quality,” Conte insisted.

“We need a strong squad. You need time, patience and the transfer market to improve your team. Today we saw the difference with [Dejan] Kulusevski and Richarlison being involved. I have seen huge improvements over the past year but you have to always try to improve the quality of the squad if you want to fight for something important.”

This afternoon Tottenham started with zip: it almost looked like the slow beginnings of recent weeks were going to be put to bed. But, as seems to be customary this term, for all of the thunder from the off, it was Leeds who drew first blood.

The pacy Crysencio Summerville attacked Eric Dier, and the Spurs defender could not get the half-yard he needed to get a decent tackle in. Summerville held his nerve and his low finish, that flew beneath Hugo Lloris, was excellent.

Leeds fans have heaped praise on the 21-year-old Dutch winger and today he showed why. Never pausing for breath, Summerville attacked with vim and was sensible with the ball, knowing when possession should be retained. He gave Spurs trouble all afternoon.

Tottenham needed an answer, with the terraces increasingly restless, and nearly conjured one on 18 minutes. Ben Davies got behind his man and with Harry Kane under close supervision, decided to pick out the unmarked Emerson Royal. The Brazilian wing-back had time to pick a spot, but instead shanked his effort well over the bar.

Midway through the first half Spurs won three corners in succession and on the last one, Leeds keeper Illan Meslier went up, but couldn’t get a punch on the ball and tangled with Clement Lenglet. With the keeper prone, Kane was on hand to thump emphatically into the open net to make it 1-1.

At this point, the home side looked more likely to take the lead, with Leeds looking ragged. But Tottenham like to make life hard. A failure to get hold of the menacing Brenden Aaronson saw the midfielder skip past challenges and force Dier to concede a corner.

The corner was not properly cleared and when it came back in, Rodrigo’s off-side beating run saw him meet the ball with a sweet volley.

Spurs responded again on 51 through Davies. Kulusevski jinked his way into the box and his cross was cleared as far as the Welsh defender. Davies needed no second invitation, got his head over the ball and drilled home with power.

Strangely, the equaliser did not inspire Spurs to reach greater heights or send Leeds crumbling. Instead, the visitors reacted swiftly.

On 76, Bentancur lost the ball and Leeds did not dawdle. Rodrigo picked it up on the left and stormed forward before driving home across Lloris.

This topsy-turvy game still had more to come and for the third time, Tottenham conjured up an equaliser. A clearance fell for Bentancur, and the midfielder drove home in a similar fashion to Davies’s earlier effort.

Then, Kane played a first-time ball for Kulusevski to get on to: he jinked past one in the box and drew the keeper, before squaring it for Bentancur. The midfielder had no trouble side-footing home a goal that gave Spurs the lead for the first time this afternoon.

Leeds, who had Tyler Adams sent off in the closing stages for a second booking, simply had no answer.

This was a great game for the neutral, a performance for Leeds to take positives from, and a morale booster for Spurs as the squad heads off to various World Cup competing countries.

After an autumn of decidedly mixed performances, the north Londoners are in the top-four, the last-16 of the Champions League, and all while still trying to figure themselves out.

Conte now has time to plot and plan for a new year offensive. He has plenty of positives – and the same amount of negatives – to consider come the Premier League resuming it’s journey on Boxing Day.

Tottenham: Lloris, Dier, Lenglet (Sanchez, 57), Davies, Royal (Doherty, 57), Hojbjerg, Bentancur, Perisic, Kulusevski (Moura, 89), Richarlison (Bissouma, 67), Kane
Substitutes not used: Forster, Skipp, Gil, Spence, Tanganga

Leeds United: Meslier, Kristensen (Fernandez, 89), Koch, Cooper, Struijk, Adams (sent off, 79), Roca (Ayling, 79), Gnonto (Greenwood, 45), Aaronson, Summerville, Rodrigo (Gelhardt, 89)
Substitutes not used: Robels, Firpo, Llorente, Perkins, Gyabi, Joseph