Mathys Tel put Tottenham in front shortly after the break, but Dominic Calvert-Lewin drew Leeds level from twelve yards after VAR awarded the visitors a penalty following an extended review.
Leeds came agonizingly close to stealing the win late on, only for Antonín Kinský to pull off an outstanding close-range stop to deny Sean Longstaff when it mattered most.
Despite having already secured their Premier League status, Leeds showed no signs of easing up, matching Spurs stride for stride throughout an absorbing contest in north London.
Former Tottenham midfielder Jamie O’Hara was left seething at the final whistle, taking particular issue with a late penalty shout that went against Spurs in the 1-1 stalemate.
Nerves crept in among the Leeds faithful during stoppage time when Lukas Nmecha clashed with James Maddison in the area, drawing loud penalty appeals from the home supporters.
Referee Jarred Gillett allowed play to continue, and VAR backed the call after replays suggested Nmecha had gotten a touch on the ball before making contact with Maddison.
Speaking on talkSPORT’s Sports Bar on Monday night, O’Hara made no secret of his disagreement, even as co-host Jason Cundy insisted the Leeds forward had played the ball first.
O’Hara questioned whether VAR would have had sufficient grounds to reverse the decision had a penalty been given on the pitch.
“What about the Spurs one? Is that not a penalty?” O’Hara pressed.
Cundy was unmoved: “Nope, he gets the ball.”
O’Hara remained skeptical, saying he saw no clear touch on the ball, while Cundy argued replays showed slight contact. O’Hara countered that VAR likely would not have stepped in to overturn a penalty award in real time.
Leeds had their own grievances too. Destiny Udogie appeared to haul down Calvert-Lewin inside the box, but the appeal was waved off after the striker was adjudged to be marginally offside in the build-up — a call that frustrated Leeds supporters, particularly given how similar tight offside situations had been handled earlier in the season.
Further controversy arose when Gillett initially failed to penalize a foul on Ethan Ampadu, with VAR eventually stepping in to ensure Leeds were awarded the spot kick that Calvert-Lewin went on to convert.
