Sunderland 1-0 Spurs
De Zerbi loses first game – Winless Tottenham slide into relegation abyss with Sunderland loss
©TM/IMAGO
Roberto De Zerbi may have already been acutely aware of the size of the task in front of him after arriving as Tottenham’s third head coach this season. But in his first game in charge, a 1-0 defeat to Sunderland on Sunday exposed a host of issues for the Italian to resolve, with the knowledge that time is running out to find a solution. Nordi Mukiele’s first-half effort, which took a heavy deflection, gave the Black Cats a win that all but guarantees their Premier League safety. The same cannot be said for Spurs, who remain in dire straights.
Club Comparison
Sunderland AFC
Tottenham Hotspur
Premier League
Premier League
€381.95m
Market Value
€802.50m
First Tier
League Level
First Tier
€212.69m
Expenditures 25/26
€265.60m
Régis Le Bris
Managers
Roberto De Zerbi
Full Club Comparison
The north London side are in deep trouble and the most worrying aspect of their relegation fight is that it's difficult to pinpoint where their win is coming from. They haven't won in 14 league games, a run that stretches back to December 30, 2025 when they beat Crystal Palace. Since Matchday 19, they have taken just five points from a possible 42, which puts them bottom of the Premier League form table. It is mystifying how a team with a squad market value of €802.5 million and transfer spend of €265.8 million this season finds themselves in such a desperate position.
Meanwhile, their relegation rivals are starting to find some momentum. West Ham thumped rock-bottom Wolves 4-0 on Friday night, moving themselves out of the drop zone and into 17th place. Nottingham Forest battled back to salvage a 1-1 draw against Aston Villa and that point crucially moves them two clear of Spurs with six games to go. They are picking up points, showing signs of resistance, while Spurs continue to slide down the table. Leeds have been dragged into the battle in recent weeks and face Manchester United on Monday night.
Staff
R. De Zerbi
Age: 46
71
26
19
26
It's fair to say De Zerbi has not yet had sufficient time to work with his squad on the training pitch and therefore no conclusion can be drawn as to how effective his coaching has been. But there was an evident lack of belief within his team when they conceded at the Stadium of Light. Even with experienced players such as Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Dominic Solanke and Conor Gallagher, they rarely looked motivated or determined to find an equaliser. Even the penalty decision that went in their favour was overturned following a VAR pitchside review, and correctly so too.
MATCH STATS
SUNDERLAND 1-0 SPURS
By the time they did click into gear, it was too little, too late. Pedro Porro’s thunderous strike was tipped over by Robin Roefs was the only chance of note late on, while Sunderland could’ve easily extended their advantage after missing a flurry of chances. Much has been made of De Zerbi’s slow start with Brighton in 2023/24 when he lost all five of his first games.
A repeat would surely consign Spurs to the Championship and that is no longer regarded as an unrealistic outcome this season. If he is to keep them up, winning against his former club Brighton is surely a requirement at this stage, rather than just a boost to their survival hopes.
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