Leeds United’s win over Spurs came thanks to a monumental shift at the back, particularly from Tarik Muharemovic, who scooped up Player of the Match.
Even with all the toil to create more chances in the final third, Daniel Farke’s Leeds side have always been strong in defence.
Tarik Muharemovic’s arrival at Elland Road has played a big role. The Bosnian was in inspired form during our meeting with Spurs on Saturday.
Leeds United 1-0 Spurs: Tarik Muharemovic shines during gritty win
The first half was by no means vintage, and felt like it was going to slide quickly into the same category as the last five: a stalemate.
A running theme that’s continued in that time, though, is Leeds also giving up no chances whatsoever either. All it takes, as Jayden Bogle said this week, is more ruthlessness in attack to convert draws into wins. Noah Okafor’s introduction was just the impetus Leeds needed to get a win.
However, the work of Muharemovic at the other end did not go unnoticed.
| Tarik Muharemovic vs Spurs | |
|---|---|
| Touches | 70 |
| Defensive contributions | 14 |
| Ground duel success | 2/2 |
| Aerial duel success | 4/5 |
| Clearances | 13 |
Stepping up high to cut out the danger, and then denying any sort of influence for Dominic Solanke, Muharemovic was imperious once again.
A long four minutes of added time ended with the biggest outburst of passion from the centre-back. He sprinted from halfway to the South Stand to celebrate with James Trafford, two magnificent contributors to United’s deserved win.
“8 – Solid as usual without any fireworks in the first half but absolutely immense after the break winning countless headers and interceptions,” the YEP’s Lee Sobot wrote.
Tarik Muharemovic’s Leeds United form feels like Raphinha’s time at Elland Road: Enjoy him while it lasts
It’s amazing having such good players playing for Leeds. Trafford is one, and Muharemovic is another. They’ve settled in at Elland Road impeccably well.
However, there’s always that thought in the back of your head: how long will he actually be here?
There’s no denying that Muharemovic is already going to be turning heads across Europe. His form for Sassuolo and Bosnia was doing that prior to joining us for £34million, but taking to the Premier League the way he has is incredible.
It means it just feels all the more inevitable that he won’t be at Elland Road for that long. He feels destined for the very elite. And by ‘elite’, I don’t mean any delusional Man Utd fans on X who think their woefully run club should add him to the shortlist. Hilarious, by the way.
Immediately, it takes me back to Raphinha.
The first few games of Raphinha were the same. You thought: how on earth did Leeds sign him for £17million? And why is he joining a newly-promoted team?
Two seasons later, and he’s on his way to Barcelona to soon become one of the best in the world.
Muharemovic has a long way to go before that sort of move happens. However, his first 10 games in a Leeds shirt are proving why Leeds spent £34million, and why it looks like a bargain already.
If we’re looking back in three years’ time as Muharemovic shines in the Champions League knockouts, is anyone going to be shocked? We’ll all remember these early displays where it felt obvious.
