Daniel Farke made two changes to Leeds United’s side for Leeds Vs Spurs, bringing in Sean Longstaff and Lukas Nmecha after last weekend’s 2-0 loss at Bournemouth. Harry Wilson and Dan James dropped out as Leeds looked to reset quickly against Tottenham.
The switch matters because this is not just a routine shuffle. Longstaff’s return gives Leeds a more solid midfield shape, while Nmecha gives Farke a different option up front, and both moves come at a point when the team needs a sharper response than it showed last week. The listed line-up was Trafford, Bogle, Justin, Elvedi, Muharemovic, Gudmundsson, Ampadu, Longstaff, Tanaka, Nmecha and Calvert-Lewin.
Tottenham arrive with numbers that help explain why this match has drawn interest. They have taken 148 shots this season, the fourth-most in the Premier League, but they still sit in the bottom half for expected goals with 11.7. Their xG per shot is only 0.08, the lowest in the division, which means volume has not yet turned into efficient chance quality.
That split also fits the wider picture around Tottenham. They finished 17th in each of the last two seasons, and 10 new players arrived in the summer, so there is still a sense of a side trying to turn activity into substance. On the same day, Tottenham could climb up to sixth, while Arsenal could go six points clear if results break their way, adding extra weight to every result at the top of the table.
Farke’s decision to go with Longstaff and Nmecha instead of Wilson and James suggests he wanted more control and more direct reference points for the game against Tottenham, not just more pace or width. Leeds lost at Bournemouth and now need a cleaner performance against a side whose shot count looks strong on paper but whose underlying output has not matched it. That is the test in front of them, and it is the one that will decide whether this selection change looks cautious or smart.
The FA Cup adds another layer to the weekend, with the first round proper starting from Friday after six rounds of preliminary and qualifying matches. A total of 40 matches will be played over the long weekend, 33 of them today, while Premier League and Championship teams do not enter until the third round, which is set to start on 9 January 2027. The will show two first-round fixtures live on Two and iPlayer, and Jason Mohammad will present a highlights show on Sunday from 17:10 on Two and iPlayer.
