Roberto De Zerbi during his first match in charge of Spurs against Sunderland in the Premier League against Sunderland at The Stadium Of Light.Image source, Getty Images
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Roberto de Zerbi during his first match in charge of Spurs against Sunderland

At a glance

  • Roberto de Zerbi made five changes to the Spurs side for his first match in charge.

  • Sunderland took the lead just after the hour when Nordi Mukiele's shot beat keeper Antonin Kinsky via Micky van de Ven's heavy deflection.

  • Spurs then lost captain Cristian Romero with concussion after he was nudged into keeper Antonin Kinsky by Sunderland striker Brian Brobbey.

By
Chief football writer at The Stadium Of Light

Roberto de Zerbi's reign as Tottenham Hotspur's new head coach started with a defeat at Sunderland that plunges them deeper into relegation trouble.

Italian De Zerbi took charge after predecessor Igor Tudor was sacked after only 44 days in charge – but it was the same old story as Spurs could not end a winless sequence in the Premier League which now stretches to 14 games, with none in 2026.

De Zerbi's new charges were not short of endeavour but quality was sorely lacking and the goal that started their downfall typified a scrappy game when Nordi Mukiele's 20-yard shot took a big deflection off Spurs defender Micky van de Ven to leave keeper Antonin Kinsky helpless.

Spurs then lost captain Cristian Romero with what appeared to be concussion after he was nudged into keeper Kinsky by Sunderland striker Brian Brobbey.

It is a result that leaves Spurs in the bottom three, two points behind West Ham United after the Hammers' 4-0 win against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Friday.

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Number: 22 R. Roefs
Number: 17 Reinildo Mandava
Number: 15 O. Alderete
Number: 13 L. O'Nien
Number: 20 N. Mukiele
Number: 27 N. Sadiki
Number: 34 G. Xhaka
Number: 28 E. Le Fée
Number: 19 H. Diarra
Number: 11 C. Rigg
Number: 9 B. Brobbey

Substitutes

Number: 32 T. Hume
Number: 18 W. Isidor
Number: 7 C. Talbi

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