Thomas Frank admitted it was “about time” Mohammed Kudus scored after his second-half strike earned Tottenham a 2-1 victory at Leeds. The £55m summer signing had not found the net in nine games but his deflected 57th-minute shot sealed an impressive win.
Kudus also provided the assist for the opener by Mathys Tel, who notched his first of the campaign, but Noah Okafor levelled for Leeds before Kudus’s strike proved decisive.
“I’m pleased for Mo to get his goal and it was about time, and I’m so happy for Mathys as well,” said Frank. “The character he has shown as a young man from day one has really impressed me after the setback of not being in the Champions League squad. He trains well and was ready today.”
Victory lifted Spurs up to second before the remainder of Saturday’s other Premier League matches after they began the day in fifth and continued their impressive start under the former Brentford manager, this their fourth league win under Frank.
Tottenham might well have buckled in this kind of game last season, when they endured their worst Premier League campaign, resulting in Ange Postecoglou’s sacking. Spurs have won three of their opening four away Premier League games this season, which is as many as in their final 13 away league games of last season under the Australian.
Frank added: “I’m extremely happy with the win. If you want to build any successful team, you need mentality, character, cohesion and togetherness no matter if you play like Inter or Barcelona. Whatever the style of play, you need that willingness to do everything to win and I think we’re building that more and more in the team.
“We created two goals and other very dangerous situations and chances, so of course I’m delighted with the start we’ve made. Fourteen points in seven games – averaging two points per game – is very good and I’m extremely happy that on the road we have won three and drawn one. It’s a good start, but we need to continue.”
His Leeds counterpart, Daniel Farke, cut a frustrated figure as his side lost at home in the league for the first time in more than a year. But the German also took the positives, especially as Spurs were left hanging on at the end with Guglielmo Vicario’s fine save denying Joël Piroe a stoppage-time equaliser.
“We have to take our chances and hope the goalkeeper is not the man of the match, but we should have hit the target with a few of our chances,” Farke said. “Still, we played one of the country’s top sides and were the better side. That’s encouraging and I’m proud of how far we have come.”
Leeds fans were angry at referee Thomas Bramall’s officiating, but Farke insisted: “I have to be a bit careful, I don’t like to comment in public. I leave it with others to comment on the referee, I comment on what I can influence.”
