Sunderland vs. Tottenham Hotspur: Winners and Losers from Premier League Game
Tottenham Hotspur claimed their first Premier League victory of the season on Sunday, beating Sunderland 1-0 at the Stadium of Light.
The match marked full debuts for Tottenham's Son Heung-min and Dele Alli, but Ryan Mason stole the headlines with the winning goal and a strong overall performance. Sunderland hit the woodwork in each half and will feel they deserved something from the game.
Here B/R selects winners and losers from the match.
Winner: Ryan Mason
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Before the goal, Ryan Mason had already made a strong claim to be man of the match. After the goal, there was no doubt about it.
Mason excelled for Tottenham in midfield, representing one of the few bright spots for either side in a largely drab match. His passing was sharp and clever, and his goal was expertly taken.
The 24-year-old England international started the scoring sequence himself just inside the halfway line. A silky passage of one-touch passing ensued, with Erik Lamela and Harry Kane also involved. Receiving the final pass from Lamela, Mason held his nerve admirably with a clever finish past Costel Pantilimon.
The goal proved costly, though, with Mason stretchered off after taking a knock to his knee during the play. If Mason misses any significant time, Spurs could certainly suffer. Based on Sunday's performance, Mason will be a key player for Mauricio Pochettino's side this season.
"We will assess Mason tomorrow," Pochettino told Sky Sports (h/t BBC Sport). "It was a big knock on the knee. It was a great goal and we showed how we try to play."
Loser: Jermain Defoe
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Jermain Defoe will have been eager to score against his former club, and the English forward nearly did just that. But close isn't good enough at this level, so the ex-Tottenham man must go down as a loser here.
Defoe's big chance came in the 26th minute. Racing onto a clever pass threaded through Tottenham's two center-backs, Defoe outpaced Toby Alderweireld to set up a one-on-one with Hugo Lloris. The 32-year-old beat Lloris with his shot, but the ball hit the opposite upright and bounced away harmlessly.
Another chance followed late in the half, as Defoe twisted and turned away from Alderweireld. He hit the target this time, but his tame shot flew straight to Lloris, who saved easily.
Defoe deserves credit for putting himself in position to score multiple times. In addition, he proved quite a handful for Tottenham's center-backs, especially Alderweireld. But as a striker, his job is to score goals, and in such a tight game, he had no margin for error on Sunday.
"Everyone did well but up front we could not score that chance we got," Sunderland manager Dick Advocaat said, per BBC Sport.
And that could be the case all season for Sunderland, who have started poorly and already find themselves at the bottom of the table. Another relegation scrap seems inevitable, and the difference between the Premier League and the Championship could come down to which teams finish their chances.
Defoe had a huge chance to secure at least a point for Sunderland on Sunday. It's true he barely missed, but it was still a big miss for the Black Cats, who remain winless in the league this season.
Winner: Woodwork
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As noted in the previous slide, the post came to Tottenham's rescue in the first half, denying Jermain Defoe after the Sunderland forward had torn through Spurs' defense.
The woodwork intervened again in the second half, and Tottenham were again the beneficiaries. In the 84th minute, Younes Kaboul skipped to the line on the right and pulled back a pass for Jack Rodwell. The latter curled a first-time shot over Hugo Lloris' head and onto the crossbar.
It was the second time in the match Sunderland had come within inches of scoring. In a game of few clear chances, that made all the difference.
Loser: Harry Kane
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Harry Kane was the breakout star of the Premier League last season, bursting onto the scene with 21 goals in his first full campaign as a starter in the top flight. Almost inevitably, Kane has found life a bit more difficult this time around.
The English forward failed to score again on Sunday, making it five games without a Premier League goal for Tottenham's main man.
He had a big chance in the 67th minute, attempting to latch onto a ball lofted to the back post. Unmarked, Kane swung and missed as he attempted a volley.
Last season, Kane surely would have scored—or at least forced a save. However, he appeared to lack confidence as he measured his shot.
If he is suffering from confidence issues, only one thing will cure that. Kane needs to score a goal as soon as possible so he can get his season up and running.
Loser: Sunderland
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Having hit the woodwork once in each half, Sunderland will feel they deserved more from the game. Indeed, the Black Cats put in their best performance of the young season, especially in the first 45 minutes.
Yet Sunday will go down as another loss, the club's third in five league matches this term. With just two points in hand, Sunderland sit at the bottom of the table and appear set for another slog of a campaign.
"We had to score a goal but it was not to be," manager Dick Advocaat said, per BBC Sport. "At the end of the game, the better side had more luck than we had. Some players still need match fitness."
Another relegation fight surely lies in store. Advocaat and his players need to start picking up points—and winning games.
