The tenure of Roberto de Zerbi as Tottenham Hotspur’s new manager began with a defeat at Sunderland, which pushed the club deeper into relegation fears.
Italian De Zerbi took over after predecessor Igor Tudor was fired after only 44 days in command, but it was the same old scenario as Spurs were unable to halt their Premier League winless streak, which now stands at 14 games with none in 2024.
De Zerbi’s new charges were not without effort, but quality was severely missing, and the goal that started their demise typified a messy game when Nordi Mukiele’s 20-yard strike took a massive deflection off Spurs defender Micky van de Ven, leaving goalie Antonin Kinsky powerless.
Spurs subsequently lost captain Cristian Romero to injury after being shoved into goalkeeper Kinsky by Sunderland striker Brian Brobbey.
Spurs now sit in the bottom three, two points behind West Ham United, who won 4-0 over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Friday.
Sunderland were by far the more organized and dangerous side, with Dominic Solanke squandering Spurs’ greatest chance just before halftime when he was stopped at the near post.
De Zerbi was prepared to make substitutions when Sunderland scored a goal that typically sums up the struggling team’s fate: Nordi Mukiele’s simple shot deflected off Micky van de Ven to beat Antonin Kinsky.
Spurs were also unlucky to lose important defender and captain Cristian Romero after the confrontation with keeper Kinsky, with the Argentine in tears as he was substituted.
De Zerbi would have been concerned with Spurs’ lack of reaction after falling behind, which was a clear indication of their lack of self-belief and confidence.
Tottenham has not won in the Premier League since victory at Crystal Palace on 28 December, which does not inspire confidence.
