Tottenham remain in relegation zone after Sunderland loss in Roberto De Zerbi’s first game

Ed Griffiths
Sun, 12 Apr 2026 15:17:13 +0000

Tottenham have remained in the relegation zone after they lost to Sunderland in Roberto De Zerbi’s first game.

Sunderland claimed a crucial 1-0 triumph against Tottenham at the Stadium of Light, with Nordi Mukiele netting the decisive goal in the 61st minute.

The French defender collected a pass from Habib Diarra on the right flank before cutting inside and unleashing a left-footed strike that deflected off Micky van de Ven and nestled into the far corner.

The result compounds Tottenham's misery, stretching their winless Premier League sequence to 14 matches.

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It also handed new manager Roberto De Zerbi a defeat in his first competitive fixture since replacing interim boss Igor Tudor during the international break.

Spurs remain mired in the relegation zone following the loss.

Robin Roefs delivered a commanding performance between the posts, recording seven saves across the afternoon - his best single-match tally in England's top flight this season.

The Dutch goalkeeper's finest moment arrived in the 90th minute when Pedro Porro combined with Destiny Udogie on the edge of the penalty area before firing a right-footed shot towards goal, only for Roefs to tip the effort over the crossbar.

The victory brought an end to Sunderland's troubling run of three consecutive home defeats in the league, a sequence they had not experienced at the Stadium of Light since their Championship campaign in September 2017.

Tottenham's attacking threat evaporated after the interval, with the visitors managing a mere 0.09 expected goals in the second half.

Despite enjoying 11 minutes of added time, Spurs failed to carve out any meaningful opportunities to salvage a point.

The north London club's inability to recover from conceding first continues to haunt them.

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They have now gone 32 Premier League fixtures without winning after falling behind, a run stretching back to a 4-1 victory over Aston Villa in November 2024.

The defeat leaves Spurs rooted in the bottom three, with their survival hopes growing increasingly precarious as the season enters its final stretch.

The encounter proved a bruising affair, with referee Rob Jones brandishing multiple cautions throughout.

Three of Tottenham's four defenders received yellow cards during a combative first half - the first time Spurs had collected that many bookings before the break in an away fixture since facing Arsenal in September 2023.

A worrying incident occurred when Cristian Romero collided with his own goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky, leaving the Argentine defender in tears as he departed the pitch.

Kinsky continued with a bandage wrapped around his head after sustaining a cut.

Sunderland controlled proceedings with 55 per cent possession while making 14 tackles compared to Spurs' five.