Several Tottenham players underperformed in the 1-0 away defeat to Sunderland.
Tottenham Hotspur are still searching for their first victory of 2026, and there was no new manager bounce after the arrival of Roberto De Zerbi, who took charge of his first game at the weekend.
The Italian tactician had 10 days to work with the majority of his squad and figure out his best XI, yet he made some wrong tactical decisions in the 1-0 defeat to Sunderland. The loss at the Stadium of Light left the Lilywhites in the bottom three of the Premier League table for the first time this season.
There were several Tottenham players who underperformed against Sunderland on Sunday afternoon. Conor Gallagher, who got a 4/10 rating, was slammed by reliable journalist Alasdair Gold for his lacklustre display. Starting in a double pivot with Archie Gray, Gallagher looked completely off the pace, unable to dictate the tempo of play.
The England international aside, other Spurs stars were equally disappointing, or perhaps more.
Jamie O’Hara criticises Tottenham Hotspur star Dominic Solanke’s performance vs. Sunderland
It isn’t De Zerbi’s fault that Tottenham broke their club transfer record in the summer of 2024 by signing Dominic Solanke from Bournemouth. Spurs splashed £65m (£55m + £10m in add-ons) to land the centre-forward on the back of a prolific 21-goal campaign for the Cherries. He was brought in with the purpose of filling the big void left behind by the legendary Harry Kane, but Dominic Solanke clearly hasn’t proven to be the solution.
Rated 5/10, Solanke endured an anonymous afternoon at the Stadium of Light. The English striker struggled to impose himself meaningfully and contribute in attack in any kind. Neither did he manage to hold the ball up, nor link up play with his fellow forwards, Richarlison and Randal Kolo Muani. It was a strange outing, yet De Zerbi decided to stick with the 28-year-old up top for the entire game.
After the game, former Spurs midfielder Jamie O’Hara lambasted Solanke for his ineffective display. The Sky Sports pundit requested De Zerbi and his backroom staff to study the striker’s performance against Sunderland, declaring it as “one of the worst” he has ever seen.
“Solanke, £60m Spurs paid for him! He was meant to be Harry Kane’s replacement, but it looks like he’s forgotten how to play football,” Jamie O’Hara said on Sky Sports.
“Solanke’s performance today needs to be studied. It’s one of the worst performances I’ve seen. It’s remarkable some of the football I’ve seen. De Zerbi must be scratching his head.”
De Zerbi has clear changes to make vs. Brighton
Cristian Romero sustained a knee injury vs. Sunderland, and subsequent scans have confirmed that he will be out for up to six weeks at least, meaning the Tottenham skipper is not going to play a part anymore. This has come as a big blow for De Zerbi, who will be forced to make a change in defence against Brighton at home on Saturday evening.
The 46-year-old can’t be afraid to make big decisions in the next game, and dropping Solanke for Xavi Simons has to be one of them. Frankly, the England international has been too far below the expected standard in another injury-hit campaign. Spurs need some tenacity and creativity in the final third, and Simons would bring that.