Credit: Imago

Jacob Raw

Wed 6 May 2026 8:40, UK

Leeds United‘s Sean Longstaff has been sidelined for most of 2026, but that will surely change against Tottenham on Monday.

The Whites signed the midfielder for Newcastle United in the summer, and split the opinions of fans in the early parts of the season.

Daniel Farke has started the likes of Ao Tanaka, Ethan Ampadu, and even Ilia Gruev in midfield in recent weeks, but Longstaff can’t seem to get a look in.

The 28-year-old netted a dramatic equaliser off the bench against Bournemouth last month, yet still hasn’t been handed a start since.

Leeds will travel to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to face Spurs next in the Premier League, and Longstaff’s performance in the reverse fixture cannot be ignored by Farke.

Sean Longstaff was brilliant vs Tottenham last time

Leeds lost 2-1 to Thomas Frank’s Tottenham earlier in the season, but a lot has changed for both sides since then.

Farke went from being on the brink of the sack not long after the defeat to turning things around in no time, while Tottenham sacked both Igor Tudor and Frank, while also hiring Roberto De Zerbi since the last meeting.

Longstaff’s last start in the Premier League came in November’s 2-1 loss to Aston Villa, and it’s fair to say that he needed to be dropped.

However, as seen in the table above, the Englishman was on top form last time out against the Lilywhites.

He created five chances, including one big opportunity, and earned a 7.1 FotMob rating, which only Noah Okafor scored better with for Leeds with a score of 7.8.

The Whites have played lots of games recently, and it feels like Farke could throw De Zerbi off with Longstaff’s inclusion, as his set-piece ability could be a weapon to target Tottenham’s biggest weakness.

Daniel Farke should drop Ao Tanaka for Longstaff

As mentioned, Farke has been relying on Tanaka in recent weeks, and the Japanese star has somewhat taken his chance in the absence of Anton Stach.

However, Stach’s return gives Farke food for thought, especially considering the fact that Tanaka may want to leave Elland Road in the summer based on recent links.

Leeds have all but confirmed their Premier League survival, and a win over Tottenham would do the trick, but Farke needs to plan for the future at the same time.

Regardless, Longstaff is a genuine option that should be on the thoughts of the Leeds boss, as it would be a shame not to see him start another game this season.