2  Billy Jones
22  Javier MANQUILLO
16  John O'SHEA (c)
23  Lamine KONE

  4  Jason DENAYER
17  Didier NDONG
  7  Sebastien LARSSON
  8  Jack RODWELL 

  9  Fabio BORINI  (39  George HONEYMAN  72)

18  Jermain DEFOE

Unused subs: 
12  MIKA
  2  Donald LOVE
15  Joleon LESCOTT
20  Steven PIENAAR
46  Lynden GOOCH
 

  2  Kyle WALKER
  4  Toby ALDERWEIRELD
15  Eric DIER
  3  Danny ROSE  (33  Ben DAVIES  38)

19  Mousa DEMBELE  (  9  Vincent JANSSEN  85)
12  Victor WANYAMA

  7  Heung-Min SON  (17  Moussa SISSOKO  73)
10  DELE Alli
23  Christian ERIKSEN

10  Harry KANE (c)

Unused subs: 
30  Pau LOPEZ
27  Kevin WIMMER
38  Cameron CARTER-VICKERS
29  Harry WINKS

 

Spurs were frustrated by a resolute defensive performance from Sunderland, which had been lacking for much of their season so far, resulting in a 0-0 draw.  Tottenham looked little tired and failed to carve out too many clear cut chances, with perhaps the best two both falling to the less than prolific Victor Wanyama.

While Spurs tried to break through the massed ranks the home side got behind the ball, their out ball was normally to Jermain Defoe and he showed his strength in taking on Alderweireld, before his shot was deflected away for a corner.  It seemed like every time Tottenham attacked, Sunderland just did enough to get the ball away from our players.  Denayer's clearance against Kane's back put his side in trouble and the Spurs captain's pass in from the right across the six yard box was cut out before it reached Son in the middle. 

Sunderland had two good chances with Borini either side of a penalty shout for a foul on Walker by Denayer.  The first came when Defoe held off Toby well and then the Italian's touch was poor taking the ball wide instead of shooting first time, then he was in with a clear shot at goal and with all of it to aim at, he hit a tame shot at the Spurs keeper.

It sparked a period of Spurs pressure with Rose tormenting the defence up the left and Mousa Dembele using his strength to hold the ball and to go past players as if they weren't there.   Wanyama tested Mannone with a 25 yard shot that the keeper dived left to push wide and then Son nearly got on the end of a long through ball, but O'Shea just got a touch on it to take it away from the Spurs man.  Mousa was taken out with a criminal challenge by Rodwell, who is not good enough to keep up with him and Spurs would have been away, so he knew what he was doing.

Lee Mason showed yet another example of being able to spot a foul ,when Jones went through Rose and the England left back had to be replaced by Davies.  Walker then needed treatment after clashing heads with Larsson, but Kyle could carry on as did Larsson. 

There were free-kicks galore from the referee, but none came to anything, so into the second half, Spurs had a great chance in the first minute, when Son's low cross was missed at the near post by Dele Alli, who looked to side-foot it at goal.   An Eriksen corner went all the way through to the far post, with Kane having a shot blocked, then Christian hit a low free-kick from 25 yards, which Mannone grabbed low at his post. 

Spurs were pushing forward and Walker had a shot deflected over for a corner, which was taken short, as a number of them had been and Alli had a close range shot blocked.  The next corner was played in longer, ending in a Son cross to Wanyama at the far post, but he couldn't keep his diving header down and it went over, when it if had been on target, it might have put Spurs ahead.  Son had a shot headed away by Kone and Walker's fast cross was headed out to Alli, whose shot went over, via a deflection, as Sunderland dropped deeper. 

When you want the ball to fall to someone, you would probably not pick Wanyama, as a cross was causing panic and dropped to him just outside the D, but he shot way into the empty seats behind the goal.  A late corner saw Eric Dier glance a header into the side netting, but it was the last chance and Spurs dropped two points against the bottom team when they had a chance to close the gap at the top.

It was a pretty lacklustre affair, but the Black Cats will be happier with the point that Tottenham.  The upcoming game at home to Middlesbrough will be more of the same, so the squad have some work to do in training to get their tempo back to what it has been lately and to work out how to get around even the most packed of defences.  With Chelsea and Liverpool drawing and the Goons losing, it would have been a great time to pick up some points on them, but the unbeaten run goes on and the team will have dips in form.  If you can still pick up points when not playing that great, then we will have to regard them as a bonus.

Stanford Rivers