Thirty years of the Premier League: When Eric Cantona scored his last league goals for Leeds United in Tottenham Hotspur hammering

The mercurial Frenchman feasted on Tottenham Hotspur’s defence on August 25, 1992. In days of yore, London clubs did not travel particularly well to Leeds United and this was a case in point.

Cantona struck three times in a handsome 5-0 victory for the reigning champions. Howard Wilkinson’s side answered a fair few critics in the process after being dismantled 4-1 in their previous game against Middlesbrough at Ayresome Park, when ex-United players Tommy Wright and John Hendrie had a field day.

Cantona netted Leeds’s consolation on Teesside. His efforts against Spurs were far more consequential.

The gifted striker with the explosive temperament had actually started the season with a hat-trick in United’s eventful 4-3 victory over FA Cup holders Liverpool in the 1992-93 Charity Shield curtain raiser at Wembley.

Heading into the Spurs game, United’s form had been mixed with a heavy defeat at Boro preceded by a draw at Aston Villa and narrow 2-1 home win over Wimbledon at Elland Road.

Leeds needed a response from events in the north east and emphatically provided it. Wilkinson insisted afterwards that it was never in doubt.

The hosts ripped into Spurs from the off with Neil Ruddock almost scoring an own goal before David Howells blocked a Chris Whyte shot on the line.

The opener arrived on 19 minutes when David Batty released Cantona. While Ruddock managed to nip in before the Gallic forward, Eric Thorstvedt’s errant attempt to control the back-pass with his feet allowed Rod Wallace to score from a tight angle.

Defensive benevolence then arrived from Justin Edinburgh, who headed a cross from Cantona back into the path of the Frenchman, who fired home an unstoppable angled shot past Thorstvedt.

The Norwegian was also left stranded soon after when Leeds grabbed their third goal and Cantona notched his second of the evening.

Pouncing onto Batty’s chip, Cantona clinically headed over the stranded Thorstvedt.

Totally dominant and leading 3-0 at half-time, United sensed more blood on the resumption.

The French international completed his hat-trick and Leeds fourth just two minutes into the second half.

Wallace was sent clear on the left and after Lee Chapman won the air miles, Cantona – who had sliced a chance wide before the break to complete his treble – fired home a first-time shot. It was a case of ‘Ooh- trois-Cantona’ as The Independent put it.

Spurs were on the rack and Cantona then turned supplier to enable strike partner Chapman to complete the scoring midway through the second half.

Batty found Cantona in space, but instead of chipping over the advancing Thorstvedt, he unselfishly passed to the better-placed Chapman who tapped home to register United’s fifth goal in front of a crowd of 28,218 at Elland Road. The vast majority went home happy.

Speaking after the game, Wilkinson said: “In the last four seasons, we have come back like this every time we have been beaten. There was not much wrong on Saturday (at Middlesbrough) and the same players deserved the chance to rectify matters.”

Offering no excuses and pulling no punches, Spurs assistant Doug Livermore commented: “Leeds taught us a lesson in everything they did. After their defeat on Saturday, we caught them on a bad night.”

While United’s form in that inaugural 1992-93 Premier League season proved pretty strong at home – 12 wins and eight draws and just one loss, a 4-1 reverse to relegated Nottingham Forest – it proved a different story away from Leeds.

Spurs would secure a modicum of revenge for their poor loss at Leeds by virtue of a 4-0 success in the reverse fixture at White Hart Lane.

After his treble against Spurs, Cantona would net just two more goals at Leeds, in the European Cup games against VfB Stuttgart and Glasgow Rangers, alongside a brace in the 2-2 draw at Oldham Athletic on September 1.

He would move onto Manchester United in November and the rest is history.

Four Yorkshire teams competed in the first-ever season of the Premier League and it was Sheffield Wednesday who finished the highest, ending the season in seventh place.

Sheffield United finished in 14th spot, three places above Leeds, while Middlesbrough were relegated. Their demotion was confirmed – for the second time in four years – at Hillsborough towards the end of the season, despite a 3-2 win.

In terms of early-season form, Wednesday started out with a draw at Everton before sinking Forest 2-0 on home soil, courtesy of a brace from David Hirst.

The talismanic forward then struck twice in a thrilling 3-3 home draw with Chelsea before a Paul Williams goal earned Wednesday a point in a 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace.

The Owls ended August with a 2-1 reverse at Highbury, with Hirst continuing his strong start to the season with another goal.

United, meanwhile, started the season with a memorable 2-1 win over Manchester United at Bramall Lane, with the honour of scoring the first-ever goal in the Premier League going to Brian Deane, who netted a brilliant goal in front of the Kop.

Deane notched both United goals and also found the net in a 2-1 reverse at Anfield, next up.

The striker netted for the third game in succession as the Blades then lost 3-2 at QPR before Paul Beesley and Glyn Hodges struck in a 2-2 draw with Wimbledon.

United ended a patchy August with a home loss to Aston Villa.

Newly-promoted Boro made waves at the start of 92-93. It proved a false dawn, sadly.

They were edged out 2-1 at Highfield Road in their opening game of the season at Coventry City, with Paul Wilkinson netting for Lennie Lawrence’s side.

Their opener at Ayresome Park was more rewarding, with a brace from the darling of the Holgate End in Bernie Slaven giving them a 2-0 win over Manchester City.

Leeds were then put to the sword next up before Boro ended August with a 2-1 loss at Southampton. Wilkinson, who netted twice in the win over Leeds, continued his impressive start to the season with another goal.