Sunderland's chances of Premier League survival took a big hit as they went down 5-1 to Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane on Monday. They took an early lead through Lee Cattermole, though Spurs responded via goals from Emmanuel Adebayor, Harry Kane, Christian Eriksen and Gylfi Sigurðsson to seal a comprehensive and deserved victory.
Tottenham Hotspur vs. Sunderland: Final score 5-1, Spurs deal Black Cats big survival blow
Tottenham Hotspur dealt Sunderland’s hopes of surviving Premier League relegation a blow with a massive 5-1 win at White Hart Lane on Monday.
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Cattermole's opening goal came against the run of play, and as the result of a calamitous defensive error by Spurs centre-back Vlad Chiricheș inside 20 minutes. His slack square pass was pounced upon by the Sunderland midfielder, whose long-range drive rocketed into the bottom corner of Hugo Lloris' goal for 1-0.
Despite going behind, Spurs' lively start continued, with Tim Sherwood's side lobbing cross after cross into the Sunderland penalty area. Harry Kane should've netted an instantaneous equaliser, though he fired straight at Vito Mannone after pouncing on a loose ball in the box. Eventually their pressure did pay dividends, with Eriksen's perfect cross from the left nudged in by Adebayor at the back post just short of the half-hour.
Sunderland were left hanging on to the halftime whistle, though they made a slightly brighter start to the second half. Adam Johnson and Cattermole both had efforts from distance soon after the restart, though neither tested Lloris. Unfortunately for the Black Cats, their early shots marked just a fleeting break in the Spurs' onslaught, which resumed moments later.
It was only a matter of time before one of Spurs’ deliveries was converted a second time, and so it proved when youngster Harry Kane was on hand to poke Eriksen’s deep delivery past Mannone on the hour. From then there was no way back for the visitors, whose best chance of an equaliser was Ignacio Scocco’s effort from outside the area which harmlessly bulged the side-netting.
Eriksen guaranteed the win with a third for Spurs with 12 minutes left on the clock, drilling the ball past Mannone from the edge of the area. They weren’t quite finished yet, with Kane’s low effort squirming under the hand of Mannone and prodded in for a fourth by Adebayor in the final five minutes of the 90, before substitute Gylfi Sigurðsson fired in from inside the box in the second minute of stoppage time.
Tottenham Hotspur: Lloris; Rose, Kaboul, Chiricheș, Naughton; Eriksen, Paulinho (Veljkovic 88’), Chadli (Sigurðsson 82’), Lennon (Townsend 84’); Adebayor, Kane.
Goals: Adebayor (28’, 86’), Kane (59’), Eriksen (78’), Sigurðsson (90+2’)
Sunderland: Mannone; Brown, Cuéllar (Gardner 72’), Vergini; Alonso, Sung-Yueng, Bridcutt, Cattermole (Scocco 72’), Bardsley; Johnson, Borini.
Goals: Cattermole (17’).
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