Kudus helps Spurs beat Leeds 2-1 to sit third

Tottenham Hotspur secured a 2-1 win at Leeds United on Saturday, extending a strong start to the season under new manager Thomas Frank and leaving the club third in the Premier League. Mohammed Kudus scored his first goal for Spurs and set up Mathys Tel as Tottenham weathered pressure late in the game to claim three points at Elland Road.

Frank’s tenure has coincided with an improvement in defensive stability. Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven have formed a regular centre-back partnership that has helped Tottenham concede only once in their opening five league matches. The addition of Joao Palhinha on a season-long loan from Bayern Munich has been pivotal, providing a ball-winning presence ahead of the back four. Match statistics from the Leeds game showed Palhinha won more tackles than any teammate and became the first player to reach 25 Premier League tackles this season, while also contributing three clearances and several passes into the final third.

Kudus, who joined from West Ham for about 55 million pounds in the summer, has contributed one goal and four assists across all competitions and was influential in Tottenham’s move to dominate possession and create chances at...