3 Tottenham Players Who Need to Step Up Most vs Leeds
Tottenham Hotspur travel to Elland Road on Saturday lunchtime to face Leeds United as Roberto De Zerbi's side look to extend their winning run to four league matches. Recent victories against Coventry City, Chelsea and Crystal Palace have helped Spurs climb the league table, but there are still areas that require improvement if they are to continue this impressive form.
With a potentially difficult task awaiting them in Yorkshire, these three attacking players will need to be at their best to help Spurs navigate a notoriously tough ground to visit. Here are three Tottenham players who need to step up the most against Leeds.
Dominic Solanke
Solanke is undoubtedly one of the most important players Spurs need to see more from over the course of this season. The striker has struggled to produce consistent performances in front of goal, scoring just twice in eleven games so far, and De Zerbi will be relying on his centre-forward to lead the line at Elland Road.
Although his header rescued a point against Manchester United and he scored against Charlton Athletic in the Carabao Cup, Solanke has often been on the fringes of Tottenham's performances. He's managed just four shots on target in the league this season and, despite forcing a strong save from Dean Henderson and producing a crucial block against Crystal Palace, he failed to really threaten in a game Spurs completely dominated.
With Leeds likely to provide a stubborn defensive test on Saturday, Solanke must take advantage of whatever opportunities come his way and demonstrate why he deserves to lead the line.
Omar Marmoush
Marmoush is another Spurs forward who will be looking to make a more significant impact against Leeds. The Egyptian international has shown glimpses of his quality since arriving from Manchester City in the summer, including his excellent strike against Coventry, but he's another player who has lacked a genuine goal threat so far this season.
The forward has showcased his versatility by featuring in the #10 role, off the left flank and up front so far this season, but is yet to truly showcase the quality fans know he possesses from his time in Germany and Manchester. With players like Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison returning to fitness and Mathys Tel finding form, there's also plenty of competition for places.
A strong performance against Leeds would help cement his place in the starting XI, and his pace and directness could prove to be the difference on an afternoon when chances may be at a premium for Spurs.
Mohammed Kudus
Kudus completes this list after producing a Player of the Match performance against Crystal Palace, where he recorded his third Premier League assist of the season to set up Archie Gray's opener. The Ghanaian international completed his first 90 minutes after returning from injury earlier this season and should have got himself a goal, but horribly miscued his shot wide late on following some dazzling wing play from Luca Williams-Barnett.
There still seems to be plenty more to come from Kudus, particularly in front of goal. Goals from forward areas continue to be an area of concern for Spurs, and Kudus will need to improve on his record of just eight goals across the last two seasons. However, the 26-year-old scored in this fixture last season and will be hoping to do so again on Saturday.
At his very best, he will cause Leeds all sorts of problems and be a crucial outlet for Spurs, while also having the ability to create opportunities for the likes of Solanke, Marmoush and Tel in forward areas. If Spurs are to get another win under their belt, they'll need Kudus to continue where he left off against Palace.
