Spurs' manager Thomas Frank believes his team is building mentality and character following win over Leeds

Tottenham had dropped points against Wolverhampton Wanderers last week at home, suffering an early jolt in their pursuit of a maiden EPL title. The onus was on them to bounce back during their trip to Leeds to face a misfiring side—and they did so in style. A goal on either side of the half-time whistle ensured they returned home with all three points.

Excited by the team’s win, manager Thomas Frank said they are shaping up to become a side capable of competing with the best in Europe. The Dane remarked that their game plan worked almost to perfection until the 80th minute, even though they had to endure a few nervy moments in the dying stages of the match.

“Extremely happy with the win. If you want to build any successful team, you need mentality, character, and togetherness—no matter if you play like Inter, Barcelona, or whatever style of play. You need the willingness to do everything to win. We're building that more and more,” said Frank during the post-match press conference.

“In the last 10 minutes, they pushed us back and we dropped a little deep. But throughout the game, until the 80th minute, I was very happy. We gave the goal away—just a cross and a deflected shot. Then they hit the post, but it looked more dangerous than it really was. Very happy with that. Then we needed a bit of resilience and a couple of good saves,” he added.

French international Mathys Tel’s strike gave the visitors the lead in the 23rd minute after the ball deflected off Pascal Struijk. But the slender advantage was short-lived, as Noah Okafor tapped in from close range to restore parity just before half-time.

A slip-up from a Leeds United defender allowed space for Mohammed Kudus to cut into the box and unleash a rocket with his left foot. The ball took a deflection and beat goalkeeper Karl Darlow to give Spurs the winner and lift them into the top four—at least for the time being.

The Spurs manager was particularly pleased with Mathys Tel’s contribution, even admitting he was “emotional” for the French international.

“Almost emotional about him (Mathys Tel). So happy for him. I think the character he’s shown as a young man has really impressed me from day one, especially after the setback of not being included in the Champions League squad, since he wasn’t yet an established player,” said Frank.

Dutch international Xavi Simons was a livewire on the field, frequently splitting Leeds’ defence and kept them on their toes throughout the game. His performance also caught his manager’s eye, with Frank declaring it his best game for the North London club so far. Overall, he heaped praise on his attackers after their fourth win of the season.

“I liked Xavi (Simons) as a No. 10. I think that was his best game for us. There's still more to come, but I think he had some really good moments out there. Mo (Mohammed Kudus) getting his goal—finally! It was about time. I'm so pleased for him. He looked a bit more fluid,” said Frank, when asked about the performance of his front line.

Spurs will face a lacklustre Aston Villa side at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on October 19, following the international break. Meanwhile, Leeds United will be eager to get back to winning ways when they travel to Burnley on October 18.