John Brooks, a referee with a record of sending off Tottenham players, will take charge of the trip to Elland Road. With De Zerbi's side chasing a fourth straight league win, discipline could decide the afternoon.
Tottenham’s next test comes with a familiar face in the middle. For Spurs, that shared history is not a comfortable one. The appointment was confirmed in the officials list for Matchweek 10 of the 2026/27 season.
Scott Ledger and Akil Howson will run the lines. Josh Smith is fourth official. Tony Harrington is on VAR, assisted by Mat Wilkes. The fixture was originally a Saturday 3pm kick-off. The Premier League moved it to the lunchtime slot for live coverage on TNT Sports in its November broadcast changes, published on 21 September 2026.
Brooks is among the league’s most card-happy referees
The yellow cards have flowed under Brooks this season. Only Chris Kavanagh (4.83) and Stuart Attwell (5.40) average more bookings per game than him among referees with more than one Premier League match, according to Mot Leeds News. For a Spurs side building momentum, keeping 11 players on the pitch will matter. Discipline is therefore likely to be a theme at Elland Road.
Leeds have their own reasons for wariness. They have not won any of their last three games with Brooks in charge. Their overall record under him is two wins, two draws and five defeats in nine matches. That run includes the 2024 Championship play-off final loss to Southampton.
Spurs arrive in form while Leeds come off a defeat
Tottenham’s latest win showed how much a red card can shape a game. Palace lost Jean-Philippe Mateta after 13 minutes. His tackle on Micky van de Ven first drew a yellow, which became a straight red once VAR intervened. Archie Gray then headed in a Mohammed Kudus corner on 25 minutes. Jan Paul van Hecke added the second on 73 minutes.
Spurs dominated the ball. They completed 759 passes, a club record for a Premier League match. Van Hecke’s 143 completed passes were the most by a Spurs player in a Premier League game. The result also lifted Tottenham into the top half of the table. Another victory in Yorkshire would stretch De Zerbi’s run to four league wins in a row.
Leeds come into the game off a 2-0 defeat at Bournemouth. It was only their second league loss of the season. The result dropped Daniel Farke’s side to 11th.
After Elland Road, Spurs host Ipswich Town on Saturday 21 November, with a 3pm kick-off. They then travel to Sunderland on Sunday 29 November at 2.05pm, a game moved for live Sky Sports coverage.
Source material
Premier League referee appointments: Matchweek 10 officials (Premier League)
Tottenham 2-0 Crystal Palace: Jean-Philippe Mateta's red card sees 10-man Eagles slip into relegation zone (Sky Sports)
Why referee appointment for Leeds United's clash vs Tottenham can only spell bad news (Mot Leeds News (via Yahoo Sports))
Premier League fixture changes | November (Tottenham Hotspur)