Tottenham remained in 18th position in the Premier League after suffering a 1-0 away defeat to Sunderland.
Sunderland beat Tottenham Hotspur at the Stadium of Light on Sunday afternoon, putting new Spurs head coach Roberto De Zerbi under pressure.
Tottenham dropped to 18th in the table on Friday after West Ham’s big win over Wolves, and they remained in that position following their slender loss to Sunderland. It was the Lilywhites’ 16th Premier League defeat of the season and stretched their winless run in the Premier League to 14 games. That sequence, with five draws and nine losses, is now the club’s second-longest run without a league victory, behind a 16-game streak from 1934-35.
Despite some promising opportunities from Richarlison and Dominic Solanke in particular in the first half, Sunderland claimed three points when Nordi Mukiele’s strike deflected in off Micky Van de Ven in the 61st minute. After the hosts’ opening goal, Tottenham players’ shoulders dropped. They could barely conjure up anything to threaten the Black Cats’ defence. Eventually, it turned out to be another forgettable day in the office for Spurs.
Roberto De Zerbi opens up on Tottenham’s defeat to Sunderland
Addressing the media after the painful defeat, De Zerbi was asked whether he had learned anything new in his first game in charge of Tottenham. To which our gaffer told the club’s official website.
“You know me as a coach, but one very important part for me, for my style of being a coach, is the mental part, is to transfer the confidence of the players, to give them what they need in terms of mentality, in terms of confidence.
“For that, I said we could play better because during the week they play better, because they are clear with their head, and during the game it’s different for sure. My work is to help them to show what they do during the week, on the game, during the game.”
A lot of work needs to be done
Despite De Zerbi arriving with a background in possession-based attacking football, similar patterns emerged for Spurs, who struggled to create anything significant in either half. After starting brightly, the visitors faded and lost control, allowing Sunderland to creep into the game. Soon, it became a basketball game, as neither team managed to sustain possession for long.
For the umpteenth time, Tottenham lacked leaders when the chips were down. Cristian Romero left the pitch in tears after suffering a serious-looking knee injury, while the likes of Micky van de Ven, Conor Gallagher, Dominic Solanke and Randal Kolo Muani failed to exert their authority.
De Zerbi was aware of the muddle he was entering when he took the Tottenham job. He got a taste of it on Sunday, and while the Italian spoke about taking some positives out of the defeat, De Zerbi knows very well the reality and the direction the club is heading. If the problems aren’t addressed immediately, we are doomed!
