Leeds 1-0 Tottenham: Okafor strikes late to end winless run

Leeds United claimed a valuable 1-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur at Elland Road, ending their five-game winless run with a late winner from Noah Okafor.

The substitute made an immediate impact, finding the net in the 79th minute after being introduced by Daniel Farke, as Leeds secured their first victory since beating Newcastle United 4-1 on September 14.

The result was also overshadowed by first-half VAR controversy, with Jayden Bogle escaping a red card following a lengthy review of his challenge on Mathys Tel, who was subsequently forced off through injury.

Both sides arrived at Elland Road looking to strengthen their respective European ambitions, but it was Leeds who started with greater purpose.

 Tottenham struggled to establish themselves in the opening stages, while the hosts enjoyed more possession without creating many clear-cut opportunities.

Leeds appealed for a penalty early on after a cross appeared to strike the arm of Mateus Fernandes. However, VAR reviewed the incident and ruled that the ball had made contact with the Portuguese midfielder's sleeve or shoulder rather than his arm.

Tottenham gradually found their way into the contest, with James Trafford called into action twice around the 25-minute mark. Both efforts were comfortably dealt with by the Leeds goalkeeper, as neither side managed to take control of an otherwise cautious first half.

The biggest talking point arrived shortly after the half-hour mark when Bogle stood on Tel's ankle as the Tottenham forward attempted to move away from the defender. 

Referee John Brooks initially allowed play to continue, but VAR intervened and reviewed the incident for several minutes before opting to uphold the original decision.

Tel was unable to continue and was replaced by Roberto De Zerbi, leaving Tottenham to adjust their attacking options before the interval. The decision also drew scrutiny given the severity of the challenge and the length of the review.

Leeds emerged with greater attacking intent after the break and came close to taking the lead through Dominic Calvert-Lewin. His initial effort was cleared off the line by Dominic Solanke before a second attempt fell kindly towards Jaka Bijol, whose header failed to find the target.

Ao Tanaka then missed another promising opportunity, firing over from close range after finding space inside the Tottenham penalty area.

Further controversy followed when Pedro Porro received a yellow card for a challenge around the halfway line. Speaking on TNT Sports, former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard questioned the apparent inconsistency in the refereeing decisions, saying: "I am lost and confused".

With the match seemingly heading towards a stalemate, Farke's substitution proved decisive. Harry Wilson and Okafor combined on the edge of the penalty area before the latter took a touch past Rodrigo Bentancur and fired beyond Antonin Kinsky in the 79th minute.

Tottenham pushed for an equaliser in the closing stages, but Leeds defended resolutely to protect their advantage and secure three important points.

The victory ended a difficult run for Farke's side and provided a timely boost to their hopes of challenging for a European place. Leeds moved up to eighth in the Premier League table ahead of Saturday's remaining fixtures, while Tottenham were left to reflect on a frustrating afternoon and the loss of Tel through injury.

Tottenham will look to respond when they host Ipswich Town on 21 November, while Leeds face another tough test as they travel to Stamford Bridge to take on Chelsea.