Roberto De Zerbi has stepped up preparations ahead of Tottenham Hotspur's clash against Leeds United. When the Lilywhites face Daniel Farke's side at Elland Road on Saturday afternoon, they have the opportunity to win four Premier League games in a row for the first time since October 2023.

Since the end of the October international break, Spurs have enjoyed an excellent vein of form, drawing to Manchester United before going on to take three points from Coventry City, Chelsea, and Crystal Palace. The long hours at Hotspur Way have finally begun to pay off, with De Zerbi translating promising performances into impressive results.

Speaking to reporters at the weekend, he reflected on his side's upturn in form. The Tottenham boss said: "I think even before the national break we were playing well.

"We were playing maybe not 90 minutes, but many parts of that game we played very well. We didn't score, we conceded a stupid goal, and then we lost energy, we lost spirit, we lost the right union between the players.

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"If we compare Tottenham before the national break and Tottenham after the national break, now we are playing as a team. Before the national break, we were playing as many very good players, but not as a team."

Eager not to get carried away just yet, though, De Zerbi added: "We can't forget, as I said to the players before the game and in the half-time, we can't forget where we have been two weeks ago.

"Two weeks ago, before the Coventry game, we were last on the table, and we can't forget. I think this is the crucial part, the crucial aspect for this team.

"Then, playing with freedom, enjoying with the ball, attacking many players, no problem - but we can't forget where we were two weeks ago..."

So, with that being said, football.london has looked at five things you may have missed in training at Hotspur Way this week.

Tottenham wonderkid continues to work hard

Luca Williams-Barnett has been involved again in first-team training at Hotspur Way. The Tottenham wonderkid made an excellent impression on his Premier League debut at the weekend, coming off the bench in the win over Crystal Palace to create an excellent chance for Mohammed Kudus.

In just a few minutes, Williams-Barnett proved that he's more than capable of making an impact at the very highest level. With the festive period just around the corner, the England Under-19 international will have plenty more opportunities to feature.

Bentancur brimming ear to ear

Bentancur appeared to be in great spirits ahead of his long-awaited return to action. The Tottenham midfielder missed each of the last three Premier League games due to suspension, having been shown a red card for violent conduct in the draw to Manchester United last month.

Still no sign of Mudryk

Mykhailo Mudryk was absent, again, from the latest batch of pictures taken at Hotspur Way. The Chelsea loanee, who's played just once for Tottenham this season, suffered a ' stupid' ankle injury in training shortly after making his debut against Nottingham Forest.

Back in September, he was thought to be out for six to eight weeks. But Mudryk was left out of the matchday squad that faced Crystal Palace on Saturday night, raising question marks about his availability.

Five other Tottenham stars absent too

Tosin Adarabioyo, Lucas Bergvall, and Savio were also absent from the latest batch of pictures taken at Hotspur Way. The latter, however, returned to action in some capacity, whether it's full training or individual work on the grass, having recently uploaded a picture of himself in the dressing room, albeit wearing trainers and not boots like his teammates.

Xavi Simons and Wilson Odobert, who are each recovering from anterior cruciate ligament injuries, were, of course, nowhere to be seen either.

De Zerbi drops starting lineup hint

Interestingly, Omar Marmoush was pictured wearing a different-coloured bib (pink) than Dominic Solanke and Mathys Tel (orange) during a particular drill at Hotspur Way. The trio, of course, lined up alongside each other in the win over Crystal Palace at the weekend, suggesting a tweak to the frontline ahead of the clash against Leeds United.

Pedro Porro, Mateus Fernandes, and Conor Gallagher were also in orange bibs, while Andy Robertson, Archie Gray, and Williams-Barnett featured for the pink team. Perhaps De Zerbi was just levelling the playing field for a small-sided game, with Jan Paul van Hecke, Dejan Kulusevski, and Mohammed Kudus wearing yellow.