Italian was defeated on debut as Spurs remain in relegation zone
Dejected: Pedro Porro and Roberto De Zerbi
Richard Sellers/PA Wire
Sam Tabuteau
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Roberto De Zerbi’s Tottenham reign got off to the worst possible start as Nordi Mukiele’s deflected effort handed Sunderland a 1-0 win at the Stadium of Light.
Having fallen into the bottom three following West Ham’s thrashing of Wolves on Friday night, Spurs needed to get a result on Wearside to ease their relegation fears.
De Zerbi’s side were, however, toothless as Sunderland dominated before taking a deserved lead to leave Spurs staring at relegation to the Championship.
Spurs’s relegation woes deepen with seventh defeat in eight league games
Before his Tottenham side had even kicked a ball, De Zerbi was under pressure to deliver a positive result.
West Ham’s win over Wolves on Friday night had seen Spurs slide into the relegation zone for the first time this season.
But with a new manager through the door, there was at least a sense of anticipation before kick-off. A belief that perhaps things could change.
That notion was quickly dispelled, however, as Spurs started brightly but fell away in a fashion that has become all too common this season.
Defeat: Tottenham
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Without a win this calendar year, Spurs are a team desperately bereft of confidence and as soon as they fell behind, there was no suggestion that they were ever going to get themselves back into the game.
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The north London club are winless in each of their last 32 Premier League games after going behind (D8, L24), and despite 11 additional minutes, they never truly troubled Robin Roefs in the Sunderland goal.
Spurs’ board took a risk in appointing De Zerbi, given that in his previous roles, it has taken time for him to instil his ideas.
On an afternoon where Spurs laboured to their seventh defeat in eight league games, there was no evidence to suggest that he can be the man to turn things around and prevent Spurs slipping into the Championship.
Midfield experiment does not work
De Zerbi’s teams have always been noted for their ability to dominate possession.
As such, the make-up of the Italian’s midfield was always going to be a point of interest when the teams were announced pre-game.
De Zerbi opted to start Conor Gallagher and Archie Gray in the pivot of a 4-2-3-1, with Lucas Bergvall operating as the No10 as Xavi Simons remained on the bench for the fourth successive league game.
It was an experiment that did not work for De Zerbi, though, as Sunderland took control, with Spurs loose in possession and unable to stamp their authority on the game after a bright start.
Bergvall, starting for the first time since January’s victory over Borussia Dortmund, looked off the pace and struggled to get on the ball - no player took fewer touches than the Swede in the first-half.
Relegation fears: Tottenham
REUTERS
Gray and Gallagher, meanwhile, were stuck mopping up second balls as Sunderland chased the opening goal.
With just a week and a half on the training ground, it is clear Spurs have not yet got to grips with what De Zerbi demands in the press, and Sunderland were able to easily progress the ball through the middle of the pitch.
De Zerbi would have been looking for his midfield to provide energy off the ball and authority in possession.
Instead, Spurs were left chasing shadows as Sunderland applied all the pressure and De Zerbi rang the changes, bringing Bergvall and Gray off just past the hour mark.
Kinsky puts Atletico debacle behind him
Brought back into the side for his first appearance since that night in Madrid, Antonin Kinsky was a bright spot in an otherwise dismal afternoon for Spurs.
Despite facing constant jeers from Sunderland’s support, the Czech goalkeeper was comfortable with the ball at his feet and bred confidence into Spurs’ defence by springing off his line to collect a number of loose balls.
This was an opportunity for Kinsky to banish the demons of his performance against Atletico, and he did so by producing an assured performance to keep Spurs in the game despite Sunderland’s dominance.
The 23-year-old can count himself unlucky to have ended up on the losing side, conceding to a cruel deflection off Micky van de Ven, on a difficult afternoon in the race for survival.
De Zerbi says he expects Guglielmo Vicario to be back from injury next week, but he will have been encouraged by Kinsky’s performance, and at least knows he can come to rely on him in the run-in
While it will be little consolation to Spurs, this was a morale-boosting performance from Kinsky, who can now begin to rebuild his confidence again.
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