Leeds United remain six points clear of the relegation zone despite falling to a tight 1–0 defeat at home to Manchester City on Saturday.
Other results went their way, with West Ham, Nottingham Forest and Tottenham all beaten over the weekend, ensuring Leeds stay 15th in the Premier League table.
Focus now shifts to Sunderland’s trip to Elland Road, although there’s an early blow for the hosts. Daniel Farke won’t be on the touchline after seeing red at the end of the Manchester City clash, meaning he’ll serve a suspension for the upcoming game.
However, Leeds look like a more stable club than any of the teams below them, and what happened after Tottenham’s defeat at Fulham shows everything you need to know about the north London side’s plight as they inch towards the bottom three.
Leeds look on as Igor Tudor turns on his Tottenham players
It has not taken much time for the interim Tottenham manager to realise that he has signed up for a really messy situation this season.
Spurs brought him in to replace Thomas Frank last month, but the former Juventus defender has lost his first two league games against Arsenal and Fulham, respectively.
Tottenham sit 16th in the Premier League table, and are without a win in ten league games.
Tudor indicated that it’s a hopeless situation at Spurs now as he conceded that his team are lacking commitment and quality in all areas.
“I cannot tell you anything new”, Tudor told reporters at Craven Cottage.
“We need to find the forces inside each of us. I said to the players: ‘It’s always what you’re going to do, what you want to do with yourself,’ you know? More personality, more wish to do before reacting, plenty of things.
“We are lacking when we attack; we lack the quality to score the goal. We are lacking in the middle to run, and we are lacking behind to stay there to suffer and not concede the goal.
“So, an amazing situation. Amazing.”
The Whites are inching closer towards safety in the Premier League
Leeds walked away from Saturday’s loss to Manchester City feeling more frustrated than deflated, and that in itself highlights just how much progress they’ve made this season. Not long ago, a narrow defeat to the champions might have been accepted; now, it feels like a missed opportunity.
With West Ham, Nottingham Forest and Tottenham all struggling for points, Leeds’ six-point cushion above the drop zone is starting to look significant at this stage of the campaign.
| Pos | Club | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 |  Leeds United |
28 | 7 | 10 | 11 | 37 | 47 | -10 | 31 |
| 16 |  Tottenham Hotspur |
28 | 7 | 8 | 13 | 38 | 43 | -5 | 29 |
| 17 |  Nottingham Forest |
28 | 7 | 6 | 15 | 26 | 41 | -15 | 27 |
| 18 |  West Ham United |
28 | 6 | 7 | 15 | 34 | 54 | -20 | 25 |
| 19 |  Burnley |
28 | 4 | 7 | 17 | 32 | 56 | -24 | 19 |
| 20 |  Wolverhampton Wanderers |
29 | 2 | 7 | 20 | 20 | 51 | -31 | 13 |
Tuesday night’s clash with Sunderland could prove pivotal. A victory would not only strengthen their position but potentially move them out of West Ham’s reach, with the Hammers currently sitting in the final relegation spot.
As things stand, Forest and Tottenham look like more realistic sides for West Ham to chase down. Leeds, by contrast, have shown defensive resilience and a growing ability to compete with anyone in the division.
