Tottenham and Leeds United are set to reignite their intense feud when they meet in the Premier League on Saturday.
Spurs have produced some encouraging results under Thomas Frank, although recent performances must be questioned.
As for Leeds, they have proven that they will be a tough team to roll over, especially when playing at Elland Road.
The 4 October clash between the two sides is set to be a cracker, and it is a fixture that has produced some fiery moments over the years.
Leeds United will want to match physicality shown in the 1970s
Frank will miss Dominic Solanke’s physical presence against Leeds in a match where brute strength will be needed.
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Daniel Farke possesses several towering stars within his side, including Anton Stach, Pascal Struijk, and the familiar Joe Rodon.
Indeed, they would be wise to emulate the Peacocks’ side of the 70s, who caused all kinds of problems for the Lilywhites with their physicality, as The Square Ball reflected in March.
In the 1972 FA Cup quarter-final, the pair played out a heated on-pitch battle, with Tottenham left-back Cyril Knowles injuring Leeds midfielder Peter Lorimer.
That incident caused a stir amongst the players as Billy Bremner and Phil Beal clashed before Knowles completely wiped out Beal.
As Mike England walked over to pick up Bremner, accusing him of faking injury, it all kicked off between the two teams, with Bremner and England booked for their antics.
Controversial refereeing caused tension between Tottenham and Leeds United in the 1990s
If it were not for VAR, then Rodrigo Bentancur would have bagged a goal in Spurs’ draw with Bodo/Glimt on Tuesday night.
While the technology divides opinion, in the 90s, it was down to the referees, who came under fire for their decisions.
In March 1999, Leeds ended the North London side’s 16-match unbeaten run with Alan Smith and Harry Kewell scoring the goals.
The Irish Times reported on the venomous encounter between the old rivals, with tempers threatening to boil over on numerous occasions.
Peacocks manager David O’Leary cut a furious figure on the touchline, protesting angrily at the linesman and his decisions despite his side’s victory.
Four months later, the pair met again, and it was a predictably tumultuous affair as leeds-fans.org.uk recalls.
The Whites claimed a 2-1 victory over George Graham’s men courtesy of an Ian Harte free-kick in the 83rd minute.
However, Graham said the free-kick should never have been given and lamented the decision as harsh on his team.
VAR and goals just the tonic between Leeds United and Tottenham in the 2020s
In more recent years, Spurs and Leeds have played out some matches to remember, and again, controversy came to the fore.
In 2021, the Peacocks got the better of the Lilywhites in a 3-1 win at Elland Road, but VAR played an integral part, as shared by VAVEL.
While the final score was not close, Spurs thought they had taken a 2-1 lead thanks to Harry Kane, only for VAR to rule out his goal by a toenail.
In November 2022, Tottenham got revenge in a 4-3 win, with Antonio Conte’s men coming from behind on three occasions to clinch a remarkable win on home soil.
Bentancur was the unlikely hero, bagging the Lilywhites’ third and fourth in a breathless affair.
At that point in the season, Conte’s side had clinched 13 points from losing positions, which was more than any side in the Premier League.
Leeds manager Jesse Marsch summed up the game perfectly: “I’m gutted, I feel like someone has ripped my heart out.”
While Frank will be hoping for a more straightforward encounter, the fixture has the recipe for a modern-day classic.