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Leeds United vs Tottenham Hotspur: Premier League preview, team news, stats & head-to-head  BBC

Out-of-form Leeds United take on a buoyant Tottenham side that arrive at Elland Road having won their past three matches. BBC Sport takes a look at some of the key themes going into Saturday's game.

How best to judge Leeds' season so far? A glass-half-empty view of only two league wins from nine games and only nine goals scored…or a positive spin on just two defeats from nine matches and a mere eight goals conceded?

Either way, momentum for Daniel Farke's side has definitely slowed of late and their last league victory came almost two months ago when they demolished Newcastle. Since that 4-1 win on 14 September they have scored the joint fewest goals (two), have the second lowest xG - both overall (4.96) and in open play (2.61) -, plus the worst final third passing accuracy (58.4%) of any top-flight side.

How to unlock the goalscoring potential of their side remains an ongoing mission with the likes of Brenden Aaronson, Lukas Nmecha and Harry Wilson yet to find the back of the net. Their win over Newcastle is the only league game they have scored two or more goals in, and only Dominic Calvert-Lewin has netted more than once.

But losing just three of their past 18 league games is a superb achievement and Farke's side will look to continue their impressive streak of not having lost consecutive league games since February and March last season.

Five of their nine matches so far have been away so they will be delighted to return to Elland Road, where they are unbeaten in eight and last lost a league game eight months ago.

After Spurs have been and gone their next visitors are promoted sides Coventry City and Ipswich Town. Home points will be crucial given their next four away are at Chelsea, Manchester City, Liverpool and Aston Villa.

Tottenham carrying all the momentum

While Leeds' form has stalled, the same cannot be said for resurgent Tottenham. Without so much as a goal after four matches of the season or a win after six, three victories on the spin have propelled them from the bottom of the table and above the likes of Leeds into ninth.

Looking far more like a Roberto de Zerbi side, they were utterly dominant against 10-man Crystal Palace last weekend. The 79.4% possession they enjoyed was their second highest in a top-flight match since records began in 2003-04.

Up against the worst defence in the league, their much-maligned attack had a whopping 34 shots, which may have been their most in a top-flight game for a decade but the fact that only two of them went in again shined a light on their lack of clinical edge. They have the lowest xG per shot of any side this term of 0.08.

But they certainly seem to be benefiting from having a more settled side. De Zerbi made 24 changes to his starting XI across their first seven games of this season but has made just three since they picked up their first league win of the season against Coventry.

Tottenham always seem to do well against Leeds United - they have only lost one of their past 15 meetings in the Premier League, going back almost 25 years.

I am a little bit of a believer that some teams always do well, or badly, against certain opposition or on certain grounds.

I had the same as a player when I had bogey teams or stadiums, as well as lucky ones. For example, while I always used to score against Everton at Goodison Park, I always had a stinker at Highfield Road, Coventry's old home, despite getting plenty of goals against them in home games for Blackburn.

So, I am definitely not going for Leeds to win this - but do I back Tottenham to win again and continue their good run?

Roberto de Zerbi's side have rocketed up the table on the back of three wins in a row, although they were helped out a lot by Jean-Philippe Mateta's red card in their victory over Crystal Palace last time out.

Tottenham are flying at the moment, and their confidence is up - we are seeing a bit of a Spurs swagger for the first time in a long while. So, while I don't think they will make it four wins in a row, I don't see them being beaten, either.

It's likely to be a very tight game. Leeds were a bit unlucky to lose to Bournemouth last week, but their lack of goals is becoming an issue.

Sutton's prediction: 1-1

On team news, De Zerbi confirmed Savio, Lucas Bergvall and Mykhailo Mudryk are out for this weekend's match. However, he added that Tosin Adarabioyo is available after he "came back into the group" yesterday.

On his side's winning form, the Italian boss said: "We want to complete this step of the season in the best way we can. We are playing well. We are making points in a row but, like I said after the [Crystal] Palace game, we can't forget the beginning of the season and last season as well."

On whether he will be aiming to achieve European football, he said they have "many targets" and the team is "not good enough yet to change focus".

On the current state of his side, he said: "Now we are building something special. The atmosphere in the dressing room, we are building a clear style of play. The players are playing much better than in the beginning because you can win the games just with the individual qualities of the players."

However, he added: "But we started three weeks ago. We can put all the targets you want, all the goals you want, without problems, but now is not the right moment to fix nothing."

Finally, on facing Leeds, De Zerbi said: "The intensity of Leeds, especially at home, is great. The qualities of the players, they have a clear style of play."

He added: "Not too many teams in the world defend in five and in build-up they become four. Especially on the right side, they have very good connections. They have maybe the best striker in the air, but also Tottenham have the right qualities to play a good game. Our target is to play well and get a good result tomorrow."

Cole Palmer should have received a straight red card for violent conduct in Chelsea's 2-0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur, the Premier League Key Match Incidents (KMI) Panel has ruled.

The England international was cautioned by referee Chris Kavanagh in the 70th minute after barging into Spurs midfielder Mateus Fernandes.

Palmer did so with such force that it caused the Portugal international's head to snap back.

The KMI Panel voted 3:2 that Kavanagh should have shown a red card on the field.

However, the KMI Panel unanimously supported the decision of the VAR, John Brooks, not to intervene.

The majority of the five members of the KMI Panel felt it was "clear contact to the head as well as unnecessary, dangerous and made with excessive force".

Two panellists viewed the action as "aggressive with no excessive force", supporting the booking.

Palmer was sent off for a second yellow card in the 80th minute for a foul on Jan Paul van Hecke, which the KMI Panel supported 4:1.

The midfielder received a one-match ban for his dismissal, missing the Carabao Cup exit at Liverpool.

Crystal Palace are appealing against Jean-Philippe Mateta's red card in the defeat by Tottenham on Saturday.

The striker was shown a straight red card by referee Michael Oliver for a late challenge on Micky van de Ven when the game was still 0-0, after just 13 minutes.

Oliver originally gave a yellow card but it was upgraded after a VAR review.

Mateta caught the Spurs defender on top of the ankle but in Palace's view the impact was accidental.

It is understood the 29-year-old forward believes his eyes were on the ball and that he did not see Van de Ven.

The France international is facing a three-match suspension but Palace hope the decision is either overturned or his ban reduced.

If anyone can talk about the highs and lows of being a referee, it is Darren England.

Three years ago, when acting as the video assistant referee (VAR), a blunder in a game between Tottenham and Liverpool stalled his career for months.

Luis Diaz scored for Liverpool, but his goal was flagged as offside. In a lapse of concentration, and despite the VAR image showing Diaz was onside, England said "check complete". The goal remained disallowed.

The South Yorkshire official suddenly found not only himself in the full glare of the media, but his family too.

"Refereeing is about low points and high points," England tells BBC Sport. "It's a rollercoaster of emotions.

"That was a low point. The lowest point, of course."

Today, the 40-year-old's career is revived. He is considered one of the most-trusted referees in the Premier League - both on the field and as a VAR.

Throughout 2026, England has regularly been given some of English football's biggest matches - including Manchester City's 1-0 win over Chelsea in the FA Cup final.

"So we flip it," England says, moving the conversation along to the game at Wembley. "That was a huge high for me, the pinnacle as a referee."

And on Tuesday, England has been promoted to a VAR in the Champions League for the first time, as Galatasaray take on Stuttgart.

This is the story of his rejuvenation.

The game has changed immeasurably in the 11 years since England swapped his flag for a whistle.

England says referees are now "dressed like RoboCop" as they carry so much additional equipment, such as communication devices.

The biggest change has been the introduction of VAR, which had only been in the Premier League for a few months when England refereed Southampton v Wolves in January 2020.

"It's certainly not changed the way I make decisions," England insists. "If I play on on a penalty decision, some people think the perception is 'oh you're waiting for VAR to get involved'.

"No, I've played on because I don't think it's a penalty.

"But I would rather be driving home from a game now thinking, 'OK, I misread it live, I've had the opportunity to go to the screen and we've corrected it'."

England underlines this, rejecting the notion that referees "don't care about football" when they get a decision wrong.

"It couldn't be further away from the truth," he says. "It's a myth that we go home, we switch off.

"It spoils your weekend if you make a decision that's had a big impact in the game.

"It can spoil it for longer, of course."

England knows this better than most.

From the VAR audio of the Diaz incident, it was clear England and his assistant VAR, Dan Cook were immediately aware they had made a huge mistake.

But the game was only 34 minutes old. They would have to get through the next hour.

"Once I realised I'd made the error, it's a really difficult place to try to forget that and move on," England says.

"I can't just physically stand up and walk out and leave it alone. A lot of resilience was needed - a lot of experience as well."

England described how the VAR hub is a "high pressure" and sanitised environment, with "mental fatigue" taking its toll.

There is no match commentary, just the conversation of the officiating team through their headsets.

"You don't have the atmosphere of the crowd," England says. "You hear some of the crowd sometimes, but it's just a noise.

"When you've had a busy match, you're constantly checking everything. You can come out of the hub sometimes and mentally you're exhausted."

What followed was a period of intense media scrutiny which England - and his family - were not prepared for.

The story dominated newspaper headlines, radio phone-ins and social media coverage for days.

Liverpool issued a statement that said "sporting integrity" had been "undermined".

Photographers gathered outside his children's school to try to get a picture of him for the newspapers.

One story highlighted the value of his home, while family photographs were taken from his wife's Facebook account.

"The aftermath obviously was really difficult to deal with," England says. "It was challenging because it's the goldfish bowl of the Premier League.

"But when mistakes happen, then you're in the public eye and criticism's inevitably going to come your way.

"That was difficult because it affected my family as well. We had people outside my girls' school, journalists and things like that.

"That then affects you not as a referee, but as a human being."

After the Diaz mistake, England was immediately removed from selection in the Premier League and began a process of rehabilitation.

It would be almost three months before he refereed a top-flight game again, and he did not return to full rotation until February.

It was a longer road back to the VAR room - six-and-a-half months before he was the video official in the Premier League again.

He was eased back in by the Football Association and given a couple of FA Cup ties with Michael Oliver alongside him as the support VAR.

"I did a lot of work with a sports psychologist," England says. "The support, not just from Pro Ref but more importantly family and friends, was really crucial.

"It's about perspective as well. There's a danger that we can think we're saving lives at times, but we also realise how important it is.

"I remained as focused as I could be, working hard, trusting myself, because for all that decision in the Liverpool-Tottenham game, I've made hundreds of other decisions that are correct."

All that focus has paid off, with England the VAR for a decision which was dubbed the 'biggest VAR call ever' as West Ham had a stoppage-time equaliser against Arsenal disallowed on review in May.

England said he "absolutely understood the magnitude" of that decision but "kept calm" under pressure.

Six days later, England took charge of the FA Cup final.

"We're quick to always focus on mistakes and the low points, and how we deal with that," England adds.

"It's one of the targets when you start becoming professional that you want to referee the FA Cup final.

"You only do it once and it's a real honour."

VAR has added a huge amount of additional scrutiny on officials, not just from the press.

England says he will get quizzed by parents on the school run about decisions over the weekend - and not just his own. And then there are the fans online.

"If you want to go searching for good feedback on social media and you're listening to phone-ins, you probably won't find much," England says.

"That can have an impact on how you perform on the field.

"I don't have social media, I made a decision not to. But other people have different preferences and I respect that as well.

"But you have to manage your time accordingly, to be aware that you can never really switch off from football."

England's rise from his "lowest" point has been confirmed by his refereeing appointments.

But it has also been made clear by the respect of his colleagues - which BBC Sport saw first-hand at a referees' training camp at Loughborough University.

Hugh Dallas, the Professional Referee Group director, was at the front of the room, preparing to lead a discussion about decisions from the previous weekend. He paused for a moment, then beckoned forward a referee who, he said, had "become a role model".

That was England, who had recently taken charge of his 100th top-flight game. He was greeted with warm applause as he was handed a Premier League presentation box containing a plaque and a medal.

It is a journey that has taken England from his first match in the village of Royston, five miles outside Barnsley, to the top of the game - twice.

England, who qualified as a referee aged 15, is one of a few to come from inside the game, alongside the likes of Farai Hallam and Sam Allison.

He was working at Barnsley's academy, coaching during training in the week and matches on a Sunday, while refereeing on a Saturday.

Eventually, he had to choose between the two as a professional career - refereeing won.

England first made it to the Premier League as an assistant. Then, in 2015 at the age of 28, he decided to start again in the National League as a referee and work back up.

Within four and a half years, he would take charge of his first Premier League fixture.

"I had the chance of potentially going to tournaments (as an assistant), or do I back myself as a referee?" England says. "Thankfully, it paid off."

England's progress has been closely monitored by Uefa, which has moved him through the levels as a VAR.

After 10 Conference League appointments, and six in the Europa League, this week he is elevated to the Champions League.

"We work extremely hard, and we continue to work extremely hard to stay at that level," England adds.

"Players in the Premier League, they're getting better and better. So we have to keep on improving as well."

After the honour of taking charge of the FA Cup final, does England have any other goals in his career on the field?

"When I don't have targets, that's probably time to come off the field," he says.

"I want to do all the finals that we can do. So obviously, the Carabao Cup, the Championship play-off final.

"Those games are still in my sights."

Three years ago, refereeing an FA Cup final and being a VAR in the Champions League seemed a world away for England.

Now, he's earned the right to have those targets.

We are witnessing a significant mood shift at Tottenham, reflected inside this magnificent arena since the psychological barrier of the vital first league win was crossed against Coventry City.

Head coach Roberto de Zerbi told Match of the Day after his side's victory over Crystal Palace on Saturday: "The passion we showed - we didn't lose the focus, the concentration. We made an incredible reaction when we lost the ball.

"We could have scored more goals, but we created many chances. We have to be more nasty, especially in the last third of the match, especially in the finishing. I'm happy because I knew before this would be a tough game."

De Zerbi pleaded for patience for his big summer acquisitions, with midfield duo Sandro Tonali, a £100m arrival from Newcastle United, and £85m signing Mateus Fernandes, who came from West Ham United, both starting slowly.

While any optimistic verdict on Spurs in recent times always comes with natural caution attached, the expensive pair are now showing signs of why De Zerbi was prepared to pay such prices to make them part of his transformation.

Tonali started to come to life against Coventry and against Palace he was pivotal with his running power, physicality and creation. Fernandes was lively throughout, always looking for the opening, the pass that could make a difference.

And once again, to the usual rapturous reception after his long injury absence, Dejan Kulusevski delivered a lively cameo as substitute, a real threat as he also forced a fine save from Palace keeper Dean Henderson.

There is a sense that something is finally stirring at Spurs, that the £300m spent in the summer might just reap a reward – as you would expect for such a lavish outlay.

Women's Super League  BBC

Spurs end Birmingham's unbeaten home record in style as they cruise to a 4-1 victory at St. Andrews, blowing the hosts away with three goals in the second half to end their three-game losing run.

MATCH REPORT: WSL - Birmingham City 1-4 Tottenham Hotspur