Roberto De Zerbi's first match as Tottenham head coach ended in a 1-0 defeat at Sunderland, deepening the club's relegation fears. Nordi Mukiele's deflected effort secured the win for the hosts at the Stadium of Light, leaving Spurs with their seventh loss in eight Premier League games.
Spurs entered the match in the relegation zone after West Ham's victory over Wolves on Friday night, and a bright start failed to materialise into meaningful chances. Sunderland took control as the game progressed, with Tottenham unable to mount a comeback after falling behind. The north London club are now winless in their last 32 league games when conceding first.
De Zerbi's midfield experiment backfired as Conor Gallagher and Archie Gray struggled in a double pivot, while Lucas Bergvall had little impact as the No. 10. Xavi Simons remained on the bench for the fourth consecutive league game. After a bright opening, Spurs lost their grip on possession and were repeatedly bypassed in midfield.
Goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky was a rare positive, producing an assured performance amid constant pressure from the Sunderland attack. The Czech international, making his first appearance since the Champions League defeat to Atletico Madrid, was unlucky to concede via a deflection off Micky van de Ven.
De Zerbi made changes just past the hour mark, but Spurs failed to threaten Robin Roefs in the Sunderland goal despite 11 minutes of added time. With just over a week of training under the new manager, there was little evidence of his trademark possession style.
