Tottenham edge closer to drop as De Zerbi suffers loss to Sunderland in first game

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/tottenham/UDg08Ohm/"]Spurs[/a]’ first genuine chance of the De Zerbi era took just five minutes to manifest, but it bore the same frustrations associated with his tormented predecessor, as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kolo-muani-randal/WKBRZ6Y6/"]Randal Kolo Muani[/a]’s layoff to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/isak-alexander/p41IV42c/"]Richarlison[/a] inside the box saw the Brazilian all too tamely try a first-time effort into the far corner.[/p][p]After a less-than-encouraging start, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sunderland/WSzc94ws/"]Sunderland[/a] grew into the match from there, with former Arsenal man [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/xhaka-granit/QBHCDKff/"]Granit Xhaka[/a] driving the Black Cats’ best chances, including an attempted Olimpico goal from the Swiss midfielder himself, which [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kinsky-antonin/hv1U4aGj/"]Antonin Kinsky[/a] sharply tipped over the bar.[/p][p]Overall, the Czech stopper looked like an entirely different person to the one that crumbled so horrifically against Atletico Madrid just a month ago.[/p][p]Most notably, he made two crucial saves to thwart [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/brobbey-brian/pfAvgQUT/"]Brian Brobbey[/a] at close range, despite Spurs’ defenders failing to pick him up at the end of a Xhaka free kick on both occasions.[/p][embed guid="228fee82-33c7-4ff8-937a-7844dcff1c52" url="https://x.com/Flashscorecom/status/2043344133356507275" social-type="twitter" /][p]Yet, it would still be Spurs with the greater sense of resentment at half-time, having also seen a penalty rescinded by VAR after a combination of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/alderete-omar/fLceoUtl/"]Omar Alderete[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/o-nien-luke/4Us2mRTf/"]Luke O'Nien[/a] apparently brought down Muani inside the box.[/p][p]While Spurs had shown greater chemistry on the attack, there was still a sense that set pieces could be their undoing as the second half began.[/p][p]But in a similar way to the first half, Spurs emerged the stronger, and O’Nien had to intervene at the last second to prevent Richarlison from finishing at the near post on a breakaway.[/p][p]The Brazilian also missed a decent chance at the hour mark, when again underhitting towards the far corner from a narrow angle.[/p][p]In typical Spurs style, that was met with the ultimate punishment almost instantly, with Nordi Mukiele firing Sunderland ahead.[/p][p][b]He was a rampant figure on the right flank, and went for glory after drifting into the centre, with the ball deflecting wickedly off [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/van-de-ven-micky/rotN6HH8/"]Micky van de Ven[/a] – a freak goal that only the doomed tend to concede. [/b][/p][embed guid="86fae28f-b782-4f96-a165-f5d4c9edb427" url="https://x.com/SunderlandAFC/status/2043336109459960035" social-type="twitter" /][p]That might have sparked some kind of response, but having begun the weekend as one of just three teams yet to lose a league game in which they’d scored first this season, Sunderland were in no mood to miss out on their first home points in four attempts, and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/udogie-iyenoma/ERi6Ggec/"]Destiny Udogie[/a] twice had to be sharp to prevent a second Black Cats goal, firstly throwing Brobbey off balance as he looked to receive a cross, before a goalline clearance on 88’.[/p][p]Despite being granted 11 minutes of injury time to snatch a point or more, Spurs were unable to find a way through – though [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/porro-pedro/nTebDzHC/"]Pedro Porro[/a] saw a promising shot only just tipped over in the seventh minute of added time – and the final whistle brought that all-familiar sinking feeling to the Lilywhites once again.[/p][p]Overall, there was a different feel to Spurs before half-time, but the overriding sentiment is that there is insufficient time for them to make the necessary improvements to avoid a first relegation in 49 years.[/p][p]Next weekend’s clash with Brighton now looks far bigger than either of their European finals played over the past seven years, while Sunderland’s hopes of a European finish have received a significant boost.[/p][p][b]Flashscore Man of the Match: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/xhaka-granit/QBHCDKff/"]Granit Xhaka[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sunderland/WSzc94ws/"]Sunderland[/a])[/b][/p][image alt="Player ratings" id="0ba68b88-15db-4329-af9b-a3d6f62c3c3d" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="643fc224-eeb9-4c2c-9cb9-7e6c540bc3cc" original-width="1200" original-height="1200" /][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/sunderland-WSzc94ws/tottenham-UDg08Ohm/summary/stats/?mid=pxlmliDE"]Catch up on the match stats with Flashscore[/a][/h2]