Leeds 1-0 Tottenham: Substitute Noah Okafor's Late Goal Sinks De Zerbi's Spurs at Elland Road

Leeds United beat Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 at Elland Road on Saturday, Nov. 7, with substitute Noah Okafor scoring the only goal in the 79th minute of a Premier League match that kicked off at 7:30 a.m. ET.

The win came after a tense, scoreless first half that was overshadowed by a lengthy VAR review, and a second half in which Leeds steadily took control.

How the winning goal happened

Leeds manager Daniel Farke sent on Okafor and Harry Wilson in a double change at 77 minutes, replacing Lukas Nmecha and Ao Tanaka, according to the Guardian’s live coverage and Bleacher Report’s match timeline. Two minutes later, both substitutes combined for the breakthrough.

Per the Guardian, Max Bard took a throw-in from the left, Wilson chested the ball down just inside the box and set up Okafor, who cut inside and drove a low shot across Spurs goalkeeper Kinsky into the bottom corner. VAR checked a possible handball by Wilson in the buildup and found no contact with his arm, so the goal stood.

A first half dominated by a VAR controversy

The flashpoint came around the 34-minute mark, when Leeds defender Bogle caught Spurs forward Mathys Tel on the ankle and Achilles area with his studs, as the Guardian described it. No card was shown on the field, and after a long VAR check for a possible red card, Bogle stayed on without even a booking.

The Guardian’s live blogger was sharply critical of that call. Tel was visibly struggling afterward and limped off in the 43rd minute, replaced by Dominic Solanke. There’s no word yet on how serious his injury is.

Spurs manager Roberto De Zerbi spent much of the half arguing with officials, and he was later booked in the second half while protesting a yellow card shown to Pedro Porro, the Guardian reported. The first half finished 0-0 after six minutes of stoppage time.

Leeds controlled the second half

After the break, Leeds created most of the chances. Calvert-Lewin had a close-range effort cut out by Micky van de Ven, Ampadu forced a corner from a deflected long-range shot, and Kinsky made a fingertip save to tip a rising Sean Longstaff strike over the bar, according to the Guardian. The live blog noted that Leeds had seven second-half attempts at goal before Spurs registered any, and Leeds finished well ahead on expected goals.

De Zerbi made a triple change around the hour mark, sending on Dejan Kulusevski, Rodrigo Bentancur and Conor Gallagher for Omar Marmoush, Mateus Fernandes and Porro. Gallagher went close with a low drive, but Tottenham rarely threatened Leeds goalkeeper Trafford.

The Guardian also noted a grim run for Spurs: they had not won any of their previous 49 matches in which they had gone behind.

Key moments

• 34 min: Bogle’s challenge on Tel; no card after a VAR review
• 43 min: Tel goes off injured; Solanke comes on
• 46 min: Bard replaces Gudmundsson at halftime for Leeds
• 52 min: Porro and De Zerbi both booked
• 77 min: Okafor and Wilson come on for Leeds
• 79 min: Okafor scores; goal stands after a VAR handball check

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