Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 Sunderland

Premier League, White Hart Lane

Goal: Harry Kane 59′

1-0 at The Lane but could have been so much more

A solitary Harry Kane close-range strike was enough to secure Tottenham Hotspur all three points at White Hart Lane in the late kick off on Sunday.

Spurs dominated the game from start to finish with more than 70% possession, nine shots on target as well as racking up 14 corners.  By comparison, Sunderland had just the one shot on target and a single corner.  Whereas the result was enough to take Tottenham up to third in the table as one of three unbeaten team after five games played, they missed several opportunities to capitalise and increase their goal difference.

However, despite the dominance there was a clear-cut chance for Sunderland just a minute before half time.  It took Kyle Walker to clear the ball off the line after a neat bit of skill from Januzai found ex-Spur Pienaar inside the six-yard box.  Pienaar beat Hugo Lloris with a first-time shot but Spurs had Walker to thank for his lat-ditch effort.

Harry Kane scored a poacher’s goal after a cross from Kyle Walker found the head of Dele Alli and fell to Sunderland’s Djilobodji.  Instead of clearing the danger, Djilobodji tried to chest the ball down, but messed it right up.  The ball ended up with Kane who did what he does best, slamming a side-footed shot into the back of the net.

The goal came in the 59th minute and it seemed like a matter of time before it was going to happen, with Sunderland repelling wave after wave of attacks until they would eventually concede.  As expected, there were a few counter attacks where The Black Cats looked moderately dangerous, and 1-0 never seemed to safe for the home side.

Heung-Min Son couldn’t quite cap a fine game with a goal of his own, but he looked very dangerous throughout both halves, creating chance after chance for the home side and being a general menace to Sunderland’s defence. Dele Alli was equally effective in the midfield and Kyle Walker also excelled for the hosts.  Vincent Janssen

Lee Cattermole picked up a yellow card, par for the course, and Adnan Januzaj was sent off in the 90th minute after two yellows for Sunderland.

Despite the win, Spurs did not have all good news, with Harry Kane being stretchered off after an awkward fall on his ankle.  That was after Moussa Dembele and Eric Dier also sustained injuries that forced them off the pitch.

Referee: Mike Dean

Tottenham Hotspur (4-2-3-1) Lloris; Walker, Alderweireld, Dier, Vertonghen; Dembele, Wanyama; Sissoko, Alli, Son; Kane.
Substitutes: Vorm, Davies, Trippier, Eriksen, Lamela, Winks, Janssen.

Sunderland (4-1-4-1) Pickford,Denayer, Djilobodji, Kone, Manquillo; Kirchhoff; Januzaj, Ndong, Cattermole, Pienaar; Defoe.

Substitutes: Love, Khazri, Watmore, O’Shea, McNair, Gooch, Mika.