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Antonin Kinsky has been excellent in the Tottenham Hotspur goal ever since recovering a spot in the lineup after Guglielmo Vicario's hernia surgery, and he saved the best game of his young career for Monday night's narrow 1-1 draw with Leeds United.

The Czech shot stopper made a number of brilliant saves in sparing 1.35 xG for the Lilywhites, but the pick of the litter was an amazing second half stop to deny Sean Longstaff with the sort of reflexes that maybe even Vicario would have struggled to measure up to.

VIcario made his name off reflex saves, but increasingly, he became a liability for Tottenham because of his woeful work on the ball and penchant for making terrible errors. And whlie Kinsky had his fair share of slips on that nightmarish evening against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, he has not repeated those fluke mistakes and has been picture perfect in goal with much, much better distribution skills than what Spurs fans have seen in goal from a Tottenham keeper in ages.

Antonin Kinsky has the whole world buzzing

Even pundit Jamie Carragher, who can often be one of the most critical former players on television, could not help but wax poetic both about the saves Antonin Kinsky made against Leeds United, but on his overall play as the Tottenham starting goalkeeper in recent weeks.

Carragher said, via Chris Cowlin, "The save from Kinsky onto the bar from Longstaff is one of the saves of the season. The two saves he made, one in the first half, one in the second half, have made sure his team has got what could be a vital point. The only save that I can think that made me go 'Wow' was Jordan Pickford at Newcastle. That is certainly up there. He's got a presence about him that is better and looks more confident than Vicario. It must be the greatest save he's made in his career. To get your arm up that quick. Longstaff couldn't believe it. It makes his save in the first half look like a walk in the park. Who would have ever thought that he would probably ever play for Tottenham again, off the back of what happened at Atletico Madrid. You'd have to have a heart of stone if you didn't feel delighted for him. Everyone thought his Spurs career was over a couple of months ago. That could be the save that keeps them in the Premier League."

Every single Tottenham Hotspur supporter listening to Jamie Carragher speak about their young goalkeeper has to agree with what he is saying, both about the quality and importance of the save, as well as his status as the new No. 1 for Guglielmo Vicario.

Any questions about the best goalkeeper for Spurs going forward was answered by Kinsky emphatically against Leeds, and if that point is all that separates them from West Ham United at the end of the season, people will look back on Kinsky as an even bigger hero.

It has been a year since Tottenham Hotspur star right winger and midfielder Dejan Kulusevski last played in a game, as the knee injury that initially seemed like it would cost him a few weeks and then a few months has become a season ender.

Kulusevski is still no closer to returning to training for either Tottenham or Sweden, and while there was even optimism a couple of months ago that the former Juventus man would be able to help his country out this summer at the 2026 World Cup in the Americas, that hope has quickly dissipated.

it was Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto De Zerbi who first shared pessimism on Kulu's status, plainly stating that he doesn't see how someone who has not played in a year would be able to suit up for the national team at all this summer. It was a sad statement from De Zerbi to make about his own star player, but it was necessary for De Zerbi to be honest for his own credibility and finally nip the false hope in the bud.

Dejan Kulusevski's knee continues to cause major worries

And merely days after De Zerbi made those remarks about Kulu's status, the Swedish national team announced its official preliminary squad for the 2026 World Cup. Lo and behold, while young Tottenham star Lucas Bergvall is on the list as one of the center midfielders, as he should be, Dejan Kulusevski is not in the official World Cup squad this summer.

It is news that comes as no surprise to anyone rationally, but for every diehard Tottenham fan, it is the official killing of the hope and another setting in of the reality that nobody really knows when Kulusevski will be back on the pitch. And though he and others around Sweden assure that his career is not threatened, the lack of a concrete diagnosis or update on the extent of his knee, nor the prognosis on when he will finally back, still has every Spurs supporter imagining the worst.

What we know right now is that Kulusevski has been out for a year with a knee injury that is worse than expected, and he is not at all able to play or train on it. Roberto De Zerbi recently hinted at the press conference before the draw with Leeds United that he will try to have Kulu in the squad and hanging out with the team like he did before James Maddison's return from an ACL tear, but, at this point, Kulu's season is confirmed to be over.

Tottenham Hotspur are only two points ahead of West Ham United in 17th place in the Premier League relegation battle after drawing Leeds United 1-1, failing to capitalize on the Hammers losing 1-0 to Arsenal over the weekend.

Spurs are still in the driver's seat to safety from the EFL Championship, but a two point margin is much worse than four, as Spurs lost their chance to develop real distance and a safety net between themselves and their rivals before a huge game next Tuesday night against Chelsea, who are fighting tooth and nail to stay in European football.

West Ham have a big game of their own this Sunday in the Premier League, as they will do battle with another disappointing side in Newcastle United, who currently sit 13th in the table and are getting closer to falling out of the battle for European places in their own right.

Tottenham fans are crying conspiracy

After Tottenham Hotspur fans felt hard done by notorious Premier League referee Jarred Gillet over the weekend after a series of more controverisal calls that went against the Lilywhites, they were in for another rude awakening on Tuesday morning.

Gillet and Craig Pawson, per Sky Sports, via The Spurs Watch, will officially be the referees in charge of the match between West Ham United and Newcastle United on Sunday, and that has caused huge concern among the Spurs faithful.

Both Pawson and Gillet, especially, have been behind a number of decisions that have gone against Tottenham this season, and with each game that leaves supporters and even manager Roberto De Zerbi befuddled, Spurs fans are worried that in this era of constant betting and headline making, there is a conspiracy or even an implicit bias of people wanting to see Tottenham relegated because of how newsworthy it would be.

With so many calls going against Spurs constantly this season that defy any sort of logic, the disgruntled Tottenham fan base are naturally looking for the only possible logical explanation to hold onto, and this is the one they have settled on.

So with the Pawson and Gillet pairing now officiating West Ham's next game, you can see why Spurs fans are upset. Gillet just made calls that may have cost Tottenham points against Leeds, and now he is going to referee their biggest rivals in the relegation fight in the very next game. If things don't go smoothly on Sunday, Tottenham fans already have their pitchforks sharpened.

James Maddison gave Tottenham Hotspur and their supporters a huge lift when he was introduced in the 85th minute against Leeds United last night. He may be able to stake a late claim to be in Thomas Tuchel's England roster for the World Cup.

Maddison came on for the hero turned villain, Mathys Tel, in the 1-1 draw with Leeds. Tel had scored a sublime goal to give Spurs the lead, but went on to give away the penalty from which Daniel Farke's side scored.

Tottenham are now just two points above West Ham United, who occupy the final relegation place. Roberto De Zerbi's side still has two tough matches against Chelsea and Everton to go. If Maddison can help inspire Spurs to get results in these games and keep them in the Premier League, then he could be a dark horse for England at the World Cup this summer.

It would only be an outside chance for Maddison to make the England team, as the match with Leeds was the first game he played this season. He has been out for over a year with a cruciate ligament tear.

James Maddison has a lot to prove for England

Maddison is perhaps still seen as an unreliable quantity for England. Back in 2019, whilst he still played for Leicester City, the player withdrew from the Three Lions squad due to illness. However, he was then seen visiting a casino.

The attacking midfielder then went on to make his debut for England in a 7-0 win over Montenegro. However, he has gone on to play for the Three Lions just seven times in total. Maddison went to the last World Cup but suffered from a knee injury and did not play in any of the games.

There is a history of England taking injured players or players picking up problems at major tournaments. Therefore, it would be a gamble for Tuchel to select Maddison. Especially as the Three Lions have the likes of Jude Bellingham, Morgan Rogers, Phil Foden, and Cole Palmer as attacking midfield options.

It is a surprise that Maddison, at the age of 29, has only played for England on limited occasions. He is an FA Cup and Community Shield winner with Leicester City, whilst with Spurs, he lifted the Europa League. For Leicester and Spurs, he has a combined Premier League record of 56 goals with 51 assists in 223 matches.

Tottenham Hotspur botched a golden opportunity to put some breathing room between themselves and rivals West Ham United in this heated Premier League relegation battle, but they cannot rue on missed opporunities, mistakes, or controversial calls from the 1-1 draw with Leeds United.

Spurs must move forward with a resolve to fix what went wrong and get a result, because they will need to get a result against one of their big rivals who embarrassed them earlier this season under Thomas Frank, Chelsea. The Blues have been far from impressive lately, but they are a dangerous, wounded beast fightin from ninth place for a spot in European football next season.

Tottenham will face Chelsea on Tuesday night next week with plenty of rest to recuperate, and they will have a great equalizer in their tow in James Maddison, who was able to make his return for a few minutes at the end of the match.

James Maddison is a key weapon for Spurs

It was not enough time to truly make an impact and turn the game, but everyone from the Tottenham Hotspur side watching Maddison out there was both very happy to see the leader on the pitch - and had to come away with the impression that he is indeed a class above all the other midfielders at the club.

Tottenham were able to get good results with Rodrigo Bentancur and Conor Gallagher as leading men in the midfield, but especially with Xavi Simons down with a torn ACL, the quality of James Maddison as an attacking midfielder and a secondary source of goals with how poorly the strikers are playing is going to be massive, especially against an opponent the caliber of Chelsea.

Having Maddison back healthy is a really big deal, and even though he only got a few minutes against Leeds United and may only be ready for 30 minutes - even if not 60 and certainly not the full 90 - against the Blues is enough of an upgrade and enough time on the pitch to make a difference.

Because Maddison is the caliber of player with his vision, experience, understanding of the game, and technical quality to turn a critical rivalry match of this magnitude in the relegation fight on its head in a moment's notice.

Tottenham have been missing that quality of Maddison's around the box all season, even when they had Mohammed Kudus and Xavi Simons healthy together. James Maddison showed the touch on the ball and overall quality in a mere few minutes against Leeds to give Spurs hope, and now he is here to help them get the result they need vs. Chelsea.

Tottenham Hotspur had a golden opportunity to put some real separation between themselves and rivals West Ham United after the latter's shutout loss to title favorites Arsenal, but Spurs could not take advantage of the "gift" given to them by the Gunners, drawing Leeds United 1-1 in a match they could have easliy lost without the heroics of young breakout goalkeper Antonin Kinsky.

Yes, the refs were an issue, but Tottenham know better than to blame the refs for their own failings. After Mathys Tel's excellent opener, Spurs faded badly, and Tel and his teammates made several major errors along the way.

But Tel nor the refs were the biggest problem for Tottenham and the major reason why they dropped two points in the Premier League relegation fight against Leeds on Monday Night Football. No, the biggest issue was the same issue that has plagued the Lilywhites throughout the season: the other forwards besides Mathys Tel.

The Spurs veteran forwards were disastrous

Richarlison has been Spurs best striker this season and one of their best players of the season by default, but that is a huge problem in and of itself. He is maddeningly inconsistent, and he proved it against Leeds by skying three shots that could have been go ahead goals and three points in the bag for Spurs.

And yet, he was not even the worst striker out there. The de factor right winger Randal Kolo Muani continues to be horrendous in his role out there, and he is clearly not a right winger. Everyone knows it. But at least a player of his supposed status and pedigree (and, ahem, wages) could at least pretend to be something. Kolo Muani created one nice chance for Richarlison but did nothing else of note for the club in another missed opportunity.

What really grinds everyone's gears about the drop off between Mohammed Kudus or even Wilson Odobert and then Randal Kolo Muani on the right wing is how easily the latter loses possession. Almost every time he is on the ball, he makes a bad touch or is dispossessed, and he can't win one on one or offer the necessary work rate. And his goal threat out there is zero.

The biggest problem for Tottenham this season has been the inability of the strikers to make up for the other injuries or to fill out roles in the front three. Young Tel stepped up. Richarlison flopped on the big stage, and Kolo Muani was just straight up embarrassing. You can't win with a starter in the front three playing as badly as RKM did.

Tottenham Hotspur missed out on a wonderful opportunity to skip further past rivals West Ham United in the Premier League relegation battle, failing to take full advantage of the Hammers losing 1-0 to their bitter rivals Arsenal by drawing 1-1 with Leeds United on Monday Night Football.

But the harsh reality is that Tottenham could have easliy lost this game against Leeds if it were not for the heroics of young goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky, who has emerged as the man of the hour for Spurs in this tenese relegation fight.

Kinsky prevented 1.35 goals above expected against Leeds, proving to be the deciding factor for Spurs in the draw. He quite literally saved a point for Tottenham, marking yet another consecutive impressive game between the sticks without any fault for the goal Leeds scored while sparing multiple goals with jaw dropping saves.

Antonin Kinsky is the obvious No. 1

Clearly, Kinsky is a better No. 1 goalkeeper than Guglielmo Vicario, and while Roberto De Zerbi does seem to like the Italian international and has implied that he would still be the No. 1 choice keeper, that definitely cannot be the case anymore, if it ever was.

Vicario was terrible for Tottenham this season, and if it were not for the unlucky slips on the Atletico Madrid field that had claimed Barcelona's goalkeeper before that, nobody would be questioning Kinsky, whom many Spurs fans had already wanted to see above Vicario in goal for much of the season.

Kinsky was thrown to the wolves by that bungler Igor Tudor, one of the worst man managers in the history of the Premier League, perhaps only surpassed by the only Spurs manager to drink out of an Arsenal cup in a live game.

But Antonin Kinsky has brought himself back under the charismatic Roberto De Zerbi, and even the headstrong Sassuolo grad has to say that Kinsky has more than earned the opportunity to jettison Guglielmo Vicario back to Serie A for good.

Kinsky is far less mistake prone already despite his youth, at least as good of a shot stopper, clearly better at commanding his box in the air, and superior on the ball to a degree that opens things up for the Tottenham offense significantly.

To seal the deal, Kinsky saved his best for the most recent game of the Premier League relegation battle against Leeds United, and anyone could tell that he was THE best player for Spurs - and he has been their best player this past month. The choice is obvious. It is Kinsky in goal.

Two of Tottenham Hotspur's most talented players are actually playing on loan for other historic clubs in European football, and both of them scored on Sunday. Luka Vuskovic had a brilliant free kick and produced another defensive monster class as the Hamburg faithful cheered his name in his final home game, as he was the best player on the pitch in a 3-2 win over Europa League Finalists Freiburg.

Meanwhile, Mikey Moore was not able to lift Rangers to victory over Celtic, but that's because his teammates were horrendous. Moore scored an early goal in the ninth minute, but Rangers blew the lead in the second half, falling 3-1 in the Old Firm Derby.

While Vuskovic is the biggest gem Tottenham have and has been one of the elite players in the Bundesliga this season, Moore, who first showed glimpses of his talent for Spurs in the 2024/25 season, hasn't been half bad either. In fact, he's been exceptional at times, and his latest goal in the Old Firm Derby is something Spurs need to keep closely in mind.

Mikey Moore has that clutch gene

Even when the rest of his team isn't up for it, Mikey Moore has it made it a regular habit of scoring against Celtic, and since Rangers vs. Celtic is one of the biggest games and overall rivalries in European football, it's a huge deal for Moore to elevate his performances and show real end product as a younger player. He has no real affiliation with the rivalry since he is only just at Rangers on loan from Tottenham, but the fact that he can find it within himself to play like this at the Old Firm Derby bodes well for Tottenham.

Moore has that almost inborn ability to score goals and have that clutch factor on the big stage, whether it is in European competition or a massive rivalry matchup. And Tottenham need that. In their biggest games this season, Spurs have routinely been embarrassed. Atletico Madrid shelled them in the Champions League, and top rivals Arsenal and Chelsea have pretty much had their way with them this season.

Tottenham can't wait to have Luka Vuskovic and Moore in the first team next season, not just because of their quality but because of their strength of chracter. At a young age, Moore has shown that he is not afraid to be up for the big moments, and Spurs need players like that. Roberto De Zerbi will love him.

Following Hamburger SV's final home game of the season, Tottenham Hotspur loanee, Luka Vušković

has confirmed he will not be staying with the Bundesliga side.

Vušković told Kicker, "To a 99.9 percent certainty, it was my farewell party." It was not a bad way to go out as the defender scored in a 3-2 win over Freiburg. Hamburg still has one more game, which is away to Bayer Leverkusen this Saturday.

The center-back has been a key player for the German side this season. In 28 games, he has scored six goals and made one assist. Vušković has helped Hamburg comfortably finish in mid-table in their first season back in the Bundesliga.

Tottenham are expected to retain their Premier League status after West Ham's loss to Arsenal last weekend. After a very good campaign in the Bundesliga, Vušković may want to get a chance in the Premier League.

Will Luka Vušković be starting for Tottenham Hotspur next season?

Vušković has proved this season that he can perform in an elite European league. Whether he will be good enough for the Premier League is another question. However, he is certainly one of the most exciting young defenders in Europe.

The player joined Spurs from Hajduk Split in 2025. He played one friendly game against Reading, where he scored and made an assist. However, when it came to competitive action, Vušković made the bench for Tottenham three times before going on loan to Hamburg.

Thomas Frank was still in charge of Spurs when Vušković was sent to the German side. However, now Roberto De Zerbi is in charge, the center-back may finally get his opportunity. Micky van de Ven's future is still uncertain, whilst Cristian Romero has been unreliable this season. Therefore, putting a player such as Vušković, who is young and hungry, in could be what Spurs need.

Vušković may have options away from Spurs, with Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig, Paris Saint-Germain, and Barcelona reportedly interested in the player. Staying in the Bundesliga with one of the division's top sides could be good for Vušković's development.

Joining PSG could be tempting as they are about to win Ligue 1 and are in the Champions League final. The same with Barca, who have already won La Liga. However, Vušković, who is just 19, must ensure that he gets regular game time where he goes next. He already has five caps for Croatia and is expected to be at the World Cup this summer.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto De Zerbi has brought a lot of optimism and tactical quality to the dressing room, and Spurs are now out of the bottom three of the Premier League with a chance to go further clear of rivals West Ham United in the relegation battle if they can take advantage of West Ham's latest loss - to Arsenal, no less- with a win over Leeds United on Monday Night Football.

De Zerbi has been behind the players through and through, even gassing up players like Dominic Solanke and Randal Kolo Muani who have not deserved it. But he is also not afraid to tell the truth about how Spurs are doing or how things are going on the news front, which is a breath of fresh air from the bizarre Thomas Frank and Igor Tudor press conferences before him.

Star right winger and attacking midfielder Dejan Kulusevski has been a big loss from the last season, suffering a knee injury so serious we still don't officially know what exactly is going on. Some weeks ago, Spurs fans had already given up hope on Kulu coming back to Tottenham, but there was optimism of him being able to play this summer at the World Cup for Sweden.

Dejan Kulusevski remains up in the air

Speaking to reporters before the Tottenham Hotspur vs. Leeds United game in the Premier League, manager Roberto De Zerbi had a realistic take on Kulusevski. Because he's not so convinced that we will be able to see Kulu at the World Cup at all, given he has not played any games this season for Spurs.

De Zerbi said, via Football.London's Alasdair Gold, “I don’t know the situation well. I hope so but I don’t know his injury and I can’t say nothing more. For me, it’s difficult to understand how he can play at the World Cup if he didn’t play any games this season. I texted him after [the Villa game]. He told me in the next week, I think, he comes back and I hope he can be available to stay with us in the last game because he is an amazing player.”

Although you hate to hear that from De Zerbi about Kulusevski, these are the times where you want the manager not to sugarcoat things, because De Zerbi earns more respect than he loses by being honest about his opinion here. Because he's totally right.

The better news is that De Zerbi and Kulu are in touch and that De Zerbi respects Kulu so much that, like James Maddison, he will want him in the squad whenever possible, even if he is not healthy enough to play. Maybe, just maybe, he can come back for the last game and actually get on the pitch, but it's more likely he won't. And if he can't play at the World Cup, maybe it's all for the better anyway as he looks to 2026/27 with Spurs.