Tottenham wasted chance after chance but were ultimately saved by a John O’Shea own goal as they escaped the Stadium of Light with the full three points.
Sunderland vs. Tottenham: Final score 1-2, Spurs comeback to defeat the Black Cats
Despite going down late in the first half, Tottenham were able to recover and defeat Sunderland.
More from our team sites
It took a while for either side to really generate a chance and when one finally arrived in the 18th minute for Spurs, it wasn't particularly dangerous. Lewis Holtby had the chance, dribbling in to the edge of the Sunderland box and firing a curling shot that Vito Mannone blocked away for a corner. The ball looked to be heading well wide but the keeper didn't want to take any chances.
Sunderland responded with a good chance of their own when Jozy Altidore found Jack Colback on the left side of the box. Colback's shot sailed well over the goal, not troubling Hugo Lloris.
Finally in the 37th minute, a goal!
Lloris made an absolute mess of a Ondrej Celustka cross from the right, trying to punch it away but managing instead to knock it down right to Adam Johnson, who was more than happy to blast the ball back over the down keeper and into the top right corner to put Sunderland in front, 1-0.
Apparently deciding it was time to entrain us, Spurs answered back in the 43rd minute.
Kyle Walker sent a deep free kick towards the far post that was headed back centrally by Nacer Chadli, right on to the foot of Paulinho, who had edged in front of O'Shea. Paulinho didn't waste his chance, poking the ball past Mannone and evening the match at 1-1. Colback was guilty of the foul on Aaron Lennon that set-up the initial set piece.
Spurs quickly jumped in front four minutes into the second half thanks to some hard work from Mousa Dembele. The midfielder made a strong run down the left and into the Sunderland area before hitting the ball off O’Shea, deflecting the ball off Mannone and into the net to make it 2-1.
Jermain Defoe just missed extending the lead in the 57th minute, heading a ball from Lennon off the post. The close calls continued for both sides, as no one seemed capable of getting either the clinching goal for Spurs or an equalizer for the Black Cats.
Sunderland: Mannone, Bardsley, Brown, Celustka (Giaccherini 77’), O’Shea, Ki, Larsson, Johnson (Cattermole 67’), Colback (Corini 67’), Fletcher, Altidore
Goals: Johnson (37’)
Tottenham: Lloris, Walker, Capoue, Naughton, Dawson, Lennon, Paulinho, Holtby (Townsend 79’), Dembele (Sandro 73’), Chadli (Sigurdsson 84’) Defoe
Goals: (Paulinho 43’), (O’Shea 49’ o.g.)
See More:
