Credit: Imago

James Barker

Tue 12 May 2026 6:21, UK

Mathys Tel has confessed to holding a “bitter feeling” after the Tottenham Hotspur star went from hero to zero against Leeds United.

After banking an excellent performance in Tottenham’s 2-1 win at Aston Villa prior to Monday night, Roberto De Zerbi decided to keep the winger in his side for the visit of Leeds.

The 21-year-old has blown hot and cold in his first full season as a Spurs player, having initially joined on loan from Bayern Munich in the second half of last term.

Four goals and one assist from 29 Premier League appearances in 2025-26 isn’t the return he would’ve been hoping for, but the Frenchman is finishing the year strongly.

Tel played well against Leeds, but his strong display was overshadowed by his concession of a penalty in the second half that earned the Whites a draw in N17.

What did Mathys Tel say after Tottenham vs Leeds?

Tel scored and conceded a penalty against Leeds, with his first impact on the game being to put Tottenham in front with a brilliant goal on 50 minutes.

Following a Spurs corner, the ball fell to him on the edge of the Leeds box, where he took an exquisite first touch, before bending a powerful effort into the far top corner of the net.

However, his second big flashpoint of the match came on 69 minutes, when he attempted to clear the ball from inside his own box with an acrobatic overhead kick.

Tel only ever had eyes for the ball, but that meant he was unaware of Ethan Ampadu closing in to contest that same ball with his head, and the Spurs winger’s right boot would make contact with the Leeds midfielder’s head.

After a VAR check, referee Jarred Gillett pointed to the spot, and Dominic Calvert-Lewin made no mistake, bringing Leeds level at 1-1, which is how the game would end.

Taking to his Instagram account after the game, Tel made it clear that he had mixed feeling over his performance, but also sent a rallying cry for Tottenham’s final two games.

“A bitter feeling tonight… Thank y’all for the support let’s keep pushing and fighting until the end,” he said.

Tel looks to be a big winner of De Zerbi appointment

Still only 21-years old, Tel is still very much in the infancy of his senior career, but having been playing first-team football in France since the 2021-22 season, it feels like he’s been around for a lot longer than he has.

Indeed, he represented Bayern Munich 83 times in all competitions before signing for Tottenham, showing just how much ability he has and how highly-rated the Frenchman is.

Unlocking that potential and extracting it on a consistent basis can often be the big challenge with these kinds of players, but it would appear that De Zerbi is beginning to do so.

Despite his concession of the penalty, Tel was impressive once again on Monday night, and now has an assist and a goal from his first two starts under De Zerbi.