Substitute Noah Okafor scored the decisive goal in the 79th minute to reward Leeds' impressive second-half performance and give Daniel Farke's side three valuable points before the international break.
The home side started brightly and immediately put Tottenham under pressure. Leeds appealed for an early penalty after Mateus Fernandes appeared to handle the ball inside the area, but referee John Brooks and VAR official Tony Harrington allowed play to continue.
Tottenham gradually settled into the contest, with Omar Marmoush and Mohammed Kudus testing Leeds goalkeeper James Trafford.
The biggest talking point of the first half came when Leeds defender Jayden Bogle challenged Mathys Tel, catching the Tottenham forward on the Achilles. A lengthy VAR review followed, but Bogle escaped a red card. Tel was subsequently forced off injured in the 43rd minute.
Leeds nearly took the lead before half-time when Bogle delivered a cross for Lukas Nmecha, whose header was comfortably saved by Antonín Kinský.
The hosts returned from the break with greater attacking purpose. Dominic Calvert-Lewin came close with a header that was cleared off the goal line, while Ao Tanaka missed an opportunity after being set up by the striker.
Sean Longstaff also forced an excellent save from Kinský as Leeds continued to search for the breakthrough.
Farke's substitutions eventually made the difference. Harry Wilson and Okafor entered the game in the 77th minute, replacing Tanaka and Nmecha respectively.
Just two minutes later, the substitutes combined to produce the winning goal. Wilson helped create the opportunity before Okafor controlled the ball, moved past Rodrigo Bentancur and fired powerfully into the corner in the 79th minute.
The goal sparked celebrations at Elland Road as Leeds moved ahead.
Tottenham attempted to find an equaliser late in the contest, but Trafford produced an important save in stoppage time to deny Jan Paul van Hecke's header and preserve Leeds' clean sheet.
The final whistle confirmed a deserved victory for Leeds, who ended their difficult run of results with an impressive performance in front of their supporters.
The defeat ended Tottenham's three-match winning streak and left Roberto De Zerbi's side disappointed heading into the international break.
Leeds moved above Tottenham into eighth place in the Premier League standings, while Spurs dropped to 10th.
Match details
• Competition: English Premier League
• Date: Saturday, 7 November 2026
• Venue: Elland Road, Leeds
• Half-time: Leeds United 0-0 Tottenham Hotspur
• Full-time: Leeds United 1-0 Tottenham Hotspur
Goalscorers
• Leeds United: Noah Okafor 79'
• Tottenham Hotspur: No goals