I shall leave you with this. Any north London tattoo parlours open on Sundays?
If Harry Kane doesn't score against Sunderland I will get a tattoo of him with a caption "one-season wonder." Not happening. He'll score.
— Brad (@Spursesque) September 12, 2015
Cheerio, and thanks as ever for your company - here’s Louise Taylor’s match report.
Updated
Well, Spurs got over the line there and they were the better side as the game went on and the home side ran out of steam. Sunderland were sprightly in the first half with Defoe, who hit the post, a real menace, but their threat faded and you have to wonder where the quality is going to be. Rodwell was unlucky not to equalise straight after the goal, mind, when he clattered the bar. Tottenham were steady, unspectacular, worked the ball well occasionally – but when they did put a fine move together Mason finished it well, receiving a clattering for his troubles. Not a game that will live long in the memory, all told: Spurs still seem pretty short on personality from where I’m sitting.
Updated
Full-time: Sunderland 0-1 Tottenham
First win for Spurs. Not a first win for Sunderland.
90+5 min: Late, long throw by Van Aanholt from the left. O’Shea wins a header but it’s cleared and Pantilimon, at the other end, then has to clear ahead of Chadli.
94+1 min: Sunderland pressing now but Lens gets up to a deep cross from the right and can’t direct it on target. That’s probably it for them.
90+3 min: Commentators should be reminded that it’s okay to say if Harry Kane has not had an effective game. It really is alright. Nobody minds.
90+2 min: Spurs have a four-on-three counter after a sharp challenge from Carroll but Chadli dithers, dithers and shoots over again when others had been well placed.
90 min: Five minutes to be added on – and the obligatory roar from the crowd. They are also happy when Chadli blasts wastefully over.
88 min: Free kick to Sunderland on the left. M’Vila needs to make it count, but it’s a terrible delivery and Lloris gobbles it up.
87 min: Mason has left us on a stretcher with a knee injury, Tommy Carroll replacing him. That goal was his final piece of work. Then Kane should probably make it two, found by Townsend in lots of space inside the area, but Pantilimon saves well. Then Lamela, with a free header from another good Townsend ball, really should make it two but puts it off target.
Updated
85 min: Mason is having treatment after colliding with Pantilimon in scoring. In the meantime, Van Aanholt wins a corner that Lloris clear away ... and then Rodwell hits the bar!! It’s another piece of improvisation by Kaboul, who takes his man on down the right and pulls back accurately for the substitute, whose first-time finish from 15 yards is technically accurate but thuds off the woodwork! So unlucky!
Updated
Goal! Sunderland 0-1 Spurs (Mason 82)
Spurs had been threatening and at last they put together something genuinely incisive. Kane drops short and pops a ball in back to Lamela, who slips a beautiful one through to the onrushing Mason. His first touch is a bit heavy but it draws Pantilimon and he’s able to dink it over the ‘keeper and in! Very well worked goal, and is that enough to win it?
Updated
81 min: Toivonen is the latest debutant to come off, and on comes Jack Rodwell.
80 min: Lamela switches for Chadli, who should do better than dither and dink a cross straight at Van Aanholt. But Mason then does better, swinging in a lovely cross from the right byline that Kane can’t attack and is spirited behind for a corne, which is half-cleared to Mason – whose shot is gathered.
77 min: Chadli tries to be the latest person to prove that I’m the gibbering fool, making half a yard but seeing his shot deflected for a corner, from which Dier gets up but heads at Pantilimon.
75 min: Jeremy Dresner has a say on Spurs too –
“Spurs very flat and it makes for dry games at the moment. Exact same last season for the first 10 games or so. Not enough pace in execution too one dimensional lacking fluidity and guile. Then it all just clicked and Kane started scoring at the same time as the whole team lifted itself. Slow starters that’s all. Probably Poch’s hellacious training regime shocking players off a summer break.”
Me, I’m just not so sure about Pochettino, and wasn’t last year either. It’s all a bit careful and I don’t see a great deal of personality about the team, when you take out Kane’s fun and games. Perhaps I’m hideously wrong.
Updated
74 min: Gomez is replaced by Lee Cattermole, and Borini is indeed replaced by Watmore.
73 min: And Toby Thatcher goes in hard on Pochettino here –
“At what point did Pochettino turn from a relatively tactically astute manager to a gibbering idiot? Against one of the worst teams in the league in the past 18 months, Spurs started with a defender in midfield, and three other midfielders with not an enormous amount of flair, and only one attacking player with any pace. He then uses his substitutes to pull off the two players showing any real ability to open a defence, and leaves on Chadli who has spent the entire game giving the ball away... Where is Pritchard?”
72 min: Mike Nagle says – “This is just bore draw dross. As a Spurs fan you have to say that without Eriksen Spurs lack invention & spark. It says something that Defoe has been the liveliest forward on the park. Bring back Redknapp!”
Whoa there! But you’re not really wrong on most of it. Borini is back on for now.
71 min: Davies takes no prisoners in tackling Borini and, in following through, rakes a few studs over his face. Ouch. The physio is on. Duncan Watmore could be entering the fray shortly, whether as a consequence of this or not.
70 min: Townsend has perked them up though and he gets past Van Aanholt for a second time, winning their latest flag kick. Pantilimon takes it under no pressure.
69 min: Spurs remind me a bit of Man United (yesterday’s improvement notwithstanding) at the moment. Lots of process, little ingenuity. Fair, ou non?
67 min: Erik Lamela is on for Alli, who has played quite well.
67 min: But that’s good, direct play from Townsend, who does well down the right before crossing temptingly for Alli at the back post. Jones gets it away really well.
Then a big chance for Kane! Spurs’ corner is only half-cleared and played back in by ... I think ... Chadli, who puts in a fine ball that looks perfect for a volley. But Kane completely miscues it!
Updated
66 min: You’d have to say this looks and feels like a 0-0 draw at the moment.
65 min: Lens can’t make the most of a lovely lay-off from Defoe on the halfway line that springs him clear of everyone bar Vertonghen, who stands his ground well and eventually persuades Lens, who doesn’t look confident to take him on down the left, to go right and lose the shooting chance.
63 min: Chance for either Lens and Toivonen, both of whom could get something on a Jones shot that deflects and spins up into the air. Perhaps they left it to each other, because nobody ends up doing anything until Lens fouls Lloris.
62 min: Son goes off now, and here comes Andros Townsend. Flashes on his debut, but little more. Before that, nobody could get onto a tempting Davies ball across the six-yard box.
60 min: A Spurs corner and it’s about time one of their set-pieces was good. This one wasn’t bad from Son and it took a sliced clearance from Kaboul and something a little more convincing from Borini to get rid.
58 min: Decent effort from Lens now though, who is found well by Defoe on the left and goes inside before, with Walker doing just enough to deter him, arrowing a shot that Lloris saves. It was probably heading wide. Then Pantilimon gets out bravely to gather in front of Alli, who clips him in the process.
Updated
57 min: Sunderland build but a heavy pass from Gomez – who looks a bit rusty – to Lens spoils their momentum.
56 min: It’s pretty scrappy out there just now, to be honest.
Updated
55 min: Mason is then in on the action again, getting plenty of space to hammer well, well wide with his wrong foot 25 yards out.
54 min: Mason crunches in on Borini, and it looks like a great tackle but in fact it was rather high. The Italian has a bit of treatment; again, the home fans aren’t pleased.
53 min: Defoe still buzzing around. But does he need some more (personal) assistance up there?
Updated
52 min: Corner to Spurs, although Kaboul thinks Kane got the last touch. In by Son from the right but it’s not good and is cleared by the first man.
50 min: Lens chases down a Toivonen flick to give Walker a right old battle for the ball before eventually, and probably rightly, being pulled up for a foul. But it sums up Sunderland’s work rate here.
48 min: O’Shea wants Pantilimon to come out and get a bouncing ball, but the big man doesn’t and the centre back gets it away awkwardly. Been a few moments like that, at each end.
46 min: Mason has been pretty good so far for Spurs. Available, keen to get on the ball, passing with a decent range. He starts in a similar vein in this half but then, of course, gives it away and Sunderland win a free kick in their own half.
Peeeeeeep! Second half underway!
Sunderland kick us off.
@NickAmes82 kane didn't score last season until November so I'm not worried yet, loads of time!
— Mr John glynn (@irishjohnny_g) September 13, 2015
Do you feel equally relaxed?
Half-time: Sunderland 0-0 Tottenham
That became quite entertaining. Jermain Defoe, by some distance the liveliest attacker out there, hit the post with the game’s best chance but was a constant threat after that and got several other shots away. Spurs had plenty of the ball without creating anything clear-cut, except perhaps the chance towards the end of the half that Son could get no purchase on after Walker’s pass. I’d have to see that one again to ascertain how bad a miss it was. Anyway, it’s lively enough and looks a reasonable bet to be decided by one goal. Stay close.
45+3 min: This is a little like the Defoe of old. He goes onto his right foot again and Dier blocks again, the ball this time spinning onto the roof of the net. The corner comes to nought.
45+ 1 min: Lens lets rip but Dier blocks. Spurs break down the left through Chadli and he floats the ball across for Walker, in acres of space after storming from right back! Pantilimon has been drawn, and he squares for Son ... who miscues! Was it good defending or did he get his feet all wrong?
At the other end it’s definitely good defending as Defoe, a constant menace, twists Alderweireld in knots down the left and gets another shot away, which Dier does brilliantly to get back and repel.
Updated
44 min: J.R. in Illinois has seen the future, and it’s a future mired in controversy –
“I don’t know what it is about Craig Pawson but he seems to get stuck with incompetent assistants regularly. I have seen him ref four games so far this season and there has been at least one game-changing (and wrong) offside call in three of them, most notably in Liverpool’s win over Bournemouth when Benteke’s goal was allowed to stand.
Might want to keep your eyes on those fellers in the second half.”
@NickAmes82 Can we have a swear jar for all sports writers who overuse "we go again?"
— Paul (@PaulOnBooks) September 13, 2015
If I’ve used it once, have I overused it?
Updated
42 min: The home crowd aren’t happy as Lens crashes in to win the ball from Davies but concedes a free kick. Seconds later, Jones is booked for a foul of his own. Son swings in another free-kick, but it’s headed away.
39 min: M’Vila slides Defoe in quite brilliantly. It’s the inside right channel this time and Alderweireld is in close attention; he spins him eventually, though, and gets in a firm shot that Lloris holds. He might have been tugged by the centre back there, on second viewing.
Updated
38 min: And now Son has a left-footed shot from out on the right of the box, but it swishes well wide.
37 min: Son does well this time though, dropping off and collecting before finding Chadli, who waits for the overlapping Davies. It’s a good position inside the box but his low cross is intercepted.
36 min: A heavy touch by Son, who hasn’t always looked up to the pace just yet, allows Gomez to nick the ball off him and the Korean fouls him. He’s in a bit of pain but gets up after a few seconds.
34 min: Defoe is released by a cute Borini pass. It’s on his left side and he decides to square for Toivonen, making a good late run around the penalty spot, but Davies is back just in time to stick his foot in. Lloris gathers but that’s fine, it’s wasn’t a backpass.
32 min: Kane gets onto the ball in the inside right channel and has a shot deflected out by Kaboul. The corner is, bluntly, a disaster. Son tries to go short to Walker, a little up the line, and succeeds only in kicking the ball out of play.
31 min: Spurs’ left-back is fine and we go again.
30 min: Davies has a knock, I think around his left eye socket, so the physio is on and the coaches have a chance to pass on some instructions.
Updated
28 min: Sunderland, after not seeing too much of the ball in the first few minutes, won’t be displeased just now – even if they should be a goal up.
26 min: I was saying? Defoe hits the post against his old club! And he really should score, racing onto a perfect Lens through ball and drawing Lloris before sliding the ball past him ... and against his right-hand frame! What a chance, and what a great pass and piece of movement.
Then a Walker cross allows Kane to try the spectacular 15 yards out, but it is charged down.
25 min: Then Alderweireld marauds forwards and takes a pot shot of his own, and it’s slice up into the air by O’Shea before Pantilimon collects. Plenty of endeavour and intent yet but no really good chances.
24 min: Lens comes in from the right now, with Jones’ run inside taking Davies away. His left-footer is well wide of the near post, but it was a nice enough move.
22 min: More lovely footwork by Alli lets Kane create a brief sight of goal on the edge of the box but he doesn’t quite get set to shoot and is dispossessed.
21 min: Now Borini goes into the book after niggling at the breaking Alli.
20 min: All a bit nervy, this, with little composure in the final third. Sunderland are certainly picking some pace up and Spurs aren’t looking confident knocking the ball about at the back, Defoe causing Lloris a problem or two just now chasing down an iffy Vertonghen backpass.
18 min: It’s very, very deep from Van Aanholt and, although it is headed back across goal, the danger passes.
18 min: Gomez’s free-kick has no height and is very poor. But Kaboul, of all people, then finds himself out on the left wing, takes a man on and has a cross blocked. Back it comes to him and back down the line he goes, winning a corner....
16 min: Yellow card for Jan Vertonghen, who caught Lens nastily and late.
16 min: Son now tries to slide marauding left-back Davies in but Jones is awake to concede a corner, which Pantilimon does not mess about with, claiming well. Then a swift counter by Sunderland and a fizzing, dipping 20-yarder from Defoe, which Lloris cannot gather cleanly but does enough with. Then right down the other end! Now it’s Kane cutting in with his own 20-yard shot and it goes a couple of feet over.
Updated
14 min: Then some oddness that the cameras only half-caught, as a backpass from Sunderland’s left is allowed to run by Pantilimon almost onto his own goal line before the ‘keeper opts to clear.
13 min: Jones gives away a free kick on the left despite having originally done well to win the ball back. Son will take his first-ever Spurs set piece. Right-footed, inswinging, and headed away on the edge of the six-yard box by Jones.
Updated
10 min: Van Aanholt cuts inside once, then again, should probably have a shot but elects to pass to Defoe. Defoe does shoot, of course, but it’s blocked. Then there’s a small piece of indecision between Lloris and Alderweireld after a long ball, but the latter hooks away.
8 min: Spurs seeing the lion’s share of possession early on. Alli is playing in a pretty advanced role, so Kane should have plenty of support when allied to Son’s ability to drift.
6 min: Better from Sunderland, with Defoe spreading the ball wide right for Jones, who finds Lens, whose cross is blocked. A few spaces on this pitch if they can be exploited.
Updated
4 min: Son is showing an early willingness to make diagonal runs inside from his perch on the right. Kaboul is alert to stop one such incursion meeting a Mason through ball.
Updated
3 min: Alli contrives some space down the right byline with a delicious backheel and nutmeg, outfoxing Borini. It’s a wonderful bit of skill but his cross is straight at Pantilimon. Good start by Spurs.
Updated
1 min: Kyle Walker goes down under a challenge from Van Aanholt in the box – early penalty shout? Seen them given, and it did seem like an obstruction (and thus an indirect free kick) of some sort.
1 min: Defoe seems to have started through the middle against his old club, but it’ll be a fluid front three or four from the home team I expect.
Peeeeeeeeep!
Spurs, kicking from right to left on your teevee, get us going.
The teams have walked out onto the Stadium of Light pitch. Sunderland in the traditional red and white stripes, Spurs clad all in purple. Not long now...
From Tom Bishop: “It’s all well and good getting tactical, and we could blather on forever about the fabled false-10/shadow strikers and such, but assuming Pochettino even wanted to ditch 4231, who exactly is supposed to play up top with Harry Kane? The last I heard, he was Spurs’ only remaining first team striker.”
Well Tom, Son can play in a supporting central role and Clinton N’Jie, when fit and ready, can too. The biggest issue for Spurs, in my view, is what happens if and when Kane has a period on the sidelines.
Pochettino on new man Son, and Kane: “I think Sonny can play like a striker, he played there for Leverkusen. We are happy with the squad we have. [The goals for England] will help Kane, it will be very good for him in this period and he is in a good moment today.”
On today: “I think our first four performances were good and the league table does not reflect that. It’s a very important game.”
David Flynn gets tactical:
“When are PL teams going to abandon this new fad of three advanced midfielders? Between Arsenal, Chelsea, Man U, Liverpool, Spurs, there’s so many attacking midfielders starting each game, who are creating nothing of interest, offering no width and not supporting the strikers. It’s difficult to blame Rooney, Giroud, Costa, Benteke or today’s loner Harry Kane when they’re really getting nothing from behind.”
And you know what, he may not be wrong. It brings to mind Arsène Wenger’s words from last week.
Mats Anderson writes in with his perspective on Adebayor, and you can certainly see where he is coming from:
“Sad story. Loads of talent. Big. Strong. And so on and so forth. But then, sometime somewhere somehow, it all goes wrong for him. He obviously had no place and no future at Spurs any more. Best to go our separate ways. The guy needs help. With whatever is wrong. No need to kick him while he’s down. Good luck Ade.”
Look at the Sunderland team. Doesn’t it look quite attacking? You’ve – well, they’ve – got Lens and Defoe either side of Borini, you’d think, with Toivonen buzzing around behind. Advocaat will know his players need to start showing some personality and engaging their public a little, and we can expect them to come out quickly here.
Of course the weekend’s biggest news anywhere has been Spurs’ release of Emmanuel Adebayor. By all means hit us with your Manu memories, Tottenham fans (or anyone else). Address above.
You’ll also note that there’s no Nabil Bentaleb for Spurs – meaning that the lavishly talented Dele Alli is in and will probably play in the most advanced central midfield position.
Teams? Teams!
Sunderland: Pantilimon, Jones, Kaboul, O’Shea, Van Aanholt, M’Vila, Toivonen, Gomez, Lens, Borini, Defoe. Subs: Cattermole, Larsson, Rodwell, Graham, Coates, Mannone, Watmore.
Tottenham Hotspur: Lloris, Walker, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Davies, Dier, Mason, Son, Alli, Chadli, Kane. Subs: Lamela, Vorm, Trippier, Townsend, Carroll, Winks, Rose.
Referee: Craig Pawson
Son starts, as do Borini and Toivonen. But what do YOU think?
Hello
Relegation six-pointer? Yeah, why not? At current rate of knots, every Premier League match not involving Manchester City will be one of those, although either of today’s protagonists would settle for just the three today. Neither has a win to their name yet and, while there doesn’t seem to be much pressure on Mauricio Pochettino just yet – as with most clubs, it seems sensible to judge after his transfer deadline additions have bedded in – Dick Advocaat’s position seems far more precipitous
Sunderland need a victory pronto if they are not to be regarded as no-hopers and, ever since their manager said that “every player is for sale”, the inadequacy of what has gone on at the Stadium of Light has seemed that bit clearer. Advocaat is far from happy with what he inherited but his own additions need to be good and the re-signing of Fabio Borini at least points to times that were ... well ... not exactly good, but better than these. He and Ola Toivonen will need to hit the ground running if Sunderland are to claw themselves away from an early spot of real bother. The feeling persists, whatever happens, that Advocaat now needs to be convinced by Sunderland as he does by them.
Expect some pretty tentative stuff today, then, particularly as Spurs will still be without Christian Eriksen to pull the strings. Son Heung-min could well make his debut for a team that has been one-paced so far this season. Has Harry Kane, at least, rediscovered his mojo after scoring for England in midweek? Find out this, and more, over the next hour or three.
Nick will be here shortly. In the meantime, here’s Louise Taylor’s preview:
Jermain Defoe would relish jogging a few memories by scoring against his old club but he must do so from a wide role, Dick Advocaat having made it abundantly clear he will not deploy him in a central attacking capacity. That job is now earmarked for Fabio Borini. Newly returned to Sunderland following his £7m move from Liverpool, Borini is already “feeling the love” from fans. Considerably less warmth will be directed towards Advocaat’s defence should Spurs start enjoying themselves. Louise Taylor
Kick-off Sunday 1.30pm
Venue Stadium of Light
Last season Sunderland 2 Tottenham 2
Live SS1
Referee C Pawson
This season G4, Y17, R0, 4.25 cards per game
Odds H 7-2 A 1-1 D 11-4
Sunderland
Subs from Mannone, Coates, Fletcher, Larsson, Cattermole, Watmore, Bridcutt, Buckley, Graham, Brown
Doubtful None
Injured Gómez (knee, 26 Sept), Johnson (shoulder, 26 Sept), Matthews (ankle, 25 Oct)
Suspended None Ineligible Yedlin (terms of loan) Form LLDD
Discipline Y10 R0
Leading scorer Defoe 2
Tottenham Hotspur
Subs from Vorm, Trippier, Fazio, Wimmer, Davies, Alli, Carroll, Pritchard, N’Jie Townsend, Lamela
Doubtful N’Jie (fitness)
Injured Dembélé (ankle, 26 Sept), Eriksen (knee, 19 Sept)
Suspended None
Form LDDD
Discipline Y13 R0
Leading scorers Alli, Chadli, Dier 1
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