Tottenham Hotspur have another pivotal matchup in the Premier League relegation fight slated for Monday Night Football, as the Lilywhites will take on a Leeds United side that has been mighty impressive of late, getting closer and closer to playing themselves out of the threat of relegation, just like Nottingham Forest.
So Spurs will need to get the three full points in this next battle, having finally scooped up back to back wins to get out of the bottom three with a hard fought 2-1 win over Aston Villa - a team they used to be fighting with for Champions League places not too long ago.
After battling Leeds, Tottenham will face a familiar rival who had embarrassed them earlier this season in Chelsea. And according to Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi, the Lilywhites may have one of their starting attackers back by then.
Dominic Solanke is nearing a return
Striker Dominic Solanke was one of the latest notable players to go down with an injury, hurting his hamstring the previous week in what was deemed a multi week injury. Via Spurs Army, De Zerbi told reporters at the press conference before Spurs game against Leeds that Solanke is making positive progress. He pretty much ruled Solanke out of the Leeds game but said that the England international could be ready for the May 19 matchup on Tuesday night against Chelsea.
Although Tottenham Hotspur may seem to be better off without Solanke based on how poorly he has played in recent weeks, the former Bournemouth star was actually the central No. 9 of choice for Roberto De Zerbi until his hamstring injury. De Zerbi was starting him regularly and praising his all around quality.
Solanke, on paper, should be Tottenham's best striker. He was their record 65 million pound signing in 2024, ostensibly for a reason, and although he has been pretty terrible this season outside of a brief purple patch when he returned from his nagging foot injury, he was key for Tottenham even last season during the Europa League title triumph.
At this point in the Premier League relegation fight, Tottenham need all hands on deck. Plus, Chelsea have a suspect defense, and a trio of Richarlison, Dominic Solanke, and Mathys Tel could be a great group to deliver goals. Solanke, in theory, is a good fit for the middle because of his technical ability and chance creation, and De Zerbi may want to see if he can unlock a partnership between Solanke and Tel before the season ends.