Relegation fears deepen for De Zerbi's Spurs after Sunderland defeat

TL;DR

Roberto De Zerbi's debut as Tottenham manager ended in a 1-0 loss to Sunderland, deepening relegation fears for the team. Spurs have not won in their last 14 Premier League matches and are now two points from safety.

Roberto De Zerbi's first game in charge of relegation-threatened Tottenham ended in a sombre 1-0 defeat at Sunderland.

The enigmatic Italian was parachuted into the Spurs hot seat with seven games to go, needing to rescue the Londoners from suffering a humiliating fate - a very different assignment to the last time he managed in the Premier League at Brighton.

The Seagulls, incidentally, will be the visitors next week when their former boss takes charge of his first home game at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and he will do so from a position in the drop zone.

Tottenham remain winless in their last 14 Premier League outings, a stretch spanning 105 days, and are now two points from safety after falling foul of a Nordi Mukiele deflected strike in the second half at the Stadium of Light.

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Nordi Mukiele gave Sunderland the lead in their Premier League clash with Spurs.

Spurs showed promise in certain aspects, De Zerbi's imprint visible in their endeavour, but Robin Roefs was only threatened once by Dominic Solanke. The striker fluffed his effort and with it Spurs' chance of a foothold in a game they failed to properly impact.

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Jamie O'Hara Tottenham Hotspur vs Sunderland

Jamie O'Hara was left frustrated after poor defending from Tottenham Hotspur puts Sunderland 1-0 up.

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Before the finish Destiny Udogie turned Chemsdine Talbi's attempt off the line, while captain Cristian Romero was forced off in tears with an undisclosed injury. His emotional state mirrored that of Spurs' general circumstance and now the unthinkable is a very real prospect indeed.

Sunderland, meanwhile, rise into the top half of the table as their remarkable return to the Premier League continues. The fortunes of the two sides could not have been more contrasting on yet another forgettable afternoon for the plight of Tottenham Hotspur.

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Q&A

What was the result of Roberto De Zerbi's first game as Tottenham manager?

Roberto De Zerbi's first game in charge ended in a 1-0 defeat against Sunderland.

How many Premier League matches have Tottenham lost in a row?

Tottenham have lost their last 14 Premier League matches.

What position are Tottenham in the Premier League after the defeat to Sunderland?

Tottenham are currently in the relegation zone, two points from safety.

Relegation fears deepen for De Zerbi's Spurs after Sunderland defeat