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Mauricio Pochettino had just watched his side produce the atypical Tottenham performance when he spoke in a language a football club must learn. “You need to kill the game,” he said, in English.
For Pochettino there should not have been a need to be turning to such a phrase. Yesterday his new team was excellent. Yesterday suggested a new dawn, with players like Erik Lamela and Christian Eriksen fulfilling the tradition of a football club. Both were relentless in their probing. For spells Tottenham pinned back an overwhelmed opposition. They did it the right way, fluent, purposeful and deliberate.
They had revealed their intentions remarkably early. There were just 50 seconds on the clock when Danny Rose broke thorough on the left. Rose, who spent a spell on loan at Sunderland, crashed his drive to the left of Vito Mannone but the goalkeeper did well to parry.
He did the same a minute later - this time though, the Italian could not stop his side from falling behind. What was truly surprising was the time afforded to Emmanuel Adebayor on the edge of the Sunderland penalty area. Even Adebayor could not believe he had the option to change his mind with the square ball given to him by Lamela. Instead of going to his left, the forward shot for goal. From there, Mannone again parried and this time Nacer Chadli came in from the left and crashed his shot into the Sunderland goal.
Sunderland - the latest match in picturesShow all 110 1 /110Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Everton 0 Sunderland 2 Sunderland players celebrate Jermain Defoe's goal
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Everton 0 Sunderland 2 Sunderland players celebrate Danny Graham's opener
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Everton 0 Sunderland 2 Danny Graham celebrates scoring against Everton
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Everton 0 Sunderland 2 Romelu Lukaku is grabbed by Sebastian Coates
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Sunderland 2 Southampton 1 Jordi Gomez celebrates scoring his second penalty for Sunderland
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Sunderland 2 Southampton 1 Sadio Mane scores for Southampton
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures gomez1.jpg Jordi Gomez scores his first from the penalty spot
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Sunderland 0 Aston Villa 4 Christian Benteke celebrates after opening the scoring
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Sunderland 0 Aston Villa 4 Gabriel Agbonlahor of Aston Villa scores their second goal
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Sunderland 0 Aston Villa 4 Agbonlahor scores the third goal for Villa
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Sunderland 0 Aston Villa 4 Christian Benteke of Aston Villa celebrates scoring their fourth goal
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Sunderland 0 Aston Villa 4 Tim Sherwood celebrates after seeing his side score four goals in the first half
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Hull 1 Sunderland 1 Dame N'Doye puts Hull City ahead
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Hull 1 Sunderland 1 Steve Bruce and Gus Poyet clash
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Hull 1 Sunderland 1 Steve Bruce and Gus Poyet clash
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Hull 1 Sunderland 1 Jack Rodwell scores the equaliser
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 2 Sunderland 0 Wayne Rooney scored again with a header - he hadn't scored in his previous eight Premier League matches.
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 2 Sunderland 0 Wayne Rooney converts the penalty to put United in the lead.
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 2 Sunderland 0 Wes Brown is sent-off to the protestations of the Sunderland players.
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 2 Sunderland 0 John O'Shea fouls Radamel Falcao to give away a penalty - but Roger East believed Wes Brown had fouled him.
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 2 Sunderland 0 British record signing Angel Di Maria was so bad he was substituted at half-time.
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Sunderland 0 QPR 2 Bobby Zamora celebrates scoring QPR's second
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Tottenham Hotspur 2 Sunderland 1 Jan Vertonghen got Spurs off to the perfect start with an early goal that deflected in
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Tottenham Hotspur 2 Sunderland 1 Jermain Defoe made his Sunderland debut at his former club
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Tottenham Hotspur 2 Sunderland 1 Sebastian Larsson equalised with a stunning free-kick for Sunderland
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Tottenham Hotspur 2 Sunderland 1 Gus Poyet and Mauricio Pochettino watch their teams in action
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Tottenham Hotspur 2 Sunderland 1 Emmanuel Adebayor came on for his first game since 9 November
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Tottenham Hotspur 2 Sunderland 1 Christian Eriksen scores a late winner for the home side
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Sunderland 0 Liverpool 1 Liam Bridcutt (left) is shown a red card after picking up a second booking.
Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Sunderland 0 Liverpool 1 Liverpool players celebrate after Markovic's goal.
Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Sunderland 0 Liverpool 1 Lazar Markovic scores in the eighth-minute for Liverpool as he pokes the ball between Costel Pantilimon's legs
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Sunderland 1 Leeds 0 Goalscorer, Sunderland's Dutch defender Patrick van Aanholt applauds supporters at the final whistle
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Sunderland 1 Leeds 0 Leeds player Gaetano Berardi (r) battles for the ball against Connor Wickham
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Manchester City 3 Sunderland 2 Yaya Toure of Manchester City celebrates the opening goal
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Manchester City 3 Sunderland 2 Stevan Jovetic scores to put the home side in control
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Manchester City 3 Sunderland 2 Jack Rodwell of Sunderland heads his goal to make it 2-1
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Manchester City 3 Sunderland 2 Adam Johnson made things all square at the Etihad moments later
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Manchester City 3 Sunderland 2 However Frank Lampard headed in the winner for Manchester City just after coming off the bench
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Manchester City 3 Sunderland 2 Lampard celebrates his winning goal
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Aston Villa 0 Sunderland 0 Fabian Delph of Aston Villa was shown a red card by referee Martin Atkinson
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Aston Villa 0 Sunderland 0 Despite the Aston Villa midfielder's early dismissal, Sunderland were unable to take advantage
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Sunderland 1 Hull 3 Hull Striker Nikica Jelavic rounds out the victory after coming off the bench
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Sunderland 1 Hull 3 James Chester heads Hull into the lead as he gets the better of Sebastian Coates
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Sunderland 1 Hull 3 Gaston Ramirez scores the equaliser for Hull
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Sunderland 1 Hull 3 Adam Johnson scores the opener for Sunderland
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Newcastle 0 Sunderland 1 Sunderland manager Gus Poyet celebrates Adam Johnson's goal
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Newcastle 0 Sunderland 1 Adam Johnson strikes his late winner at St James' Park
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Newcastle 0 Sunderland 1 Adam Johnson evades the challenge of Ayoze Perez
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Liverpool 0 Sunderland 0 Steven Gerrard at Anfield prior the match. The captain started the game on the bench
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Liverpool 0 Sunderland 0 Jordan Henderson of Liverpool battles for the ball with Jordi Gomez and Liam Bridcutt of Sunderland
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Liverpool 0 Sunderland 0 Raheem Sterling of Liverpool tussles with Sebastian Larsson of Sunderland
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Liverpool 0 Sunderland 0 Jozy Altidore of Sunderland battles for the ball with Kolo Toure and Alberto Moreno in a match that ended goalless
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Sunderland 1 Manchester City 4 Zabaleta prepares to celebrate after scoring
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Sunderland 1 Manchester City 4 Sergio Aguero is mobbed by his team-mates after scoring his second
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Sunderland 1 Manchester City 4 Stevan Jovetic celebrates after putting Manchester City ahead in the win over Sunderland
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Sunderland 1 Manchester City 4 Connor Wickham chips the ball over Pablo Zabaleta and beyond Joe Hart's reach to give Sunderland the lead
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Leicester 0 Sunderland 0 Sunderland take a short corner at the King Power Stadium
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Leicester 0 Sunderland 0 Reyad Mehraz tries to work an opportunity for the Foxes
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Leicester 0 Sunderland 0 Anthony Reveillere wins the ball from Jamie Vardy
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Leicester 0 Sunderland 0 Leonard Ulloa holds off the ball from Steven Fletcher
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Leicester 0 Sunderland 0 Steven Fletcher wins a header under pressure from Richie De Laet
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Leicester 0 Sunderland 0 Ulloa reflects on a late chance that went begging
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Sunderland 1 Everton 1 Sebastian Larsson celebrates putting Sunderland in the lead against Everton
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Sunderland 1 Everton 1 Sunderland players react as Leighton Baines of Everton (obscured centre) scores a penalty
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 1 Sunderland 3 Steven Fletcher opened the scoring at Selhurst Park
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 1 Sunderland 3 Wes Brown then scored an own goal to bring things level
Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 1 Sunderland 3 Jordi Gomez put Sunderland back in front before Fletcher struck again to score Sunderland's third
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Sunderland 0 Arsenal 2 Arsene Wenger and Gus Poyet shake hands ahead of kick-off at the Stadium of Light
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Sunderland 0 Arsenal 2 Danny Welbeck shields the ball from Sunderland captain John O'Shea
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Sunderland 0 Arsenal 2 England and Arsenal winger Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain tries to evade the clutches of Patrick van Aanholt
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Sunderland 0 Arsenal 2 Alexis Sanchez scores his seventh Arsenal goal, latching onto a through ball and dinking over Sunderland keeper Vito Mannone
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Sunderland 0 Arsenal 2 Kieran Gibbs (right) went off injured for Arsenal, who are in the midst of a defensive crisis
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Sunderland 0 Arsenal 2 Sanchez scores a late second after a terrible mistake from Vito Mannone
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Southampton 8 Sunderland 0 Sadio Mane completes the rout
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Southampton 8 Sunderland 0 Victor Wanyama scores Saints' seventh
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Southampton 8 Sunderland 0 Dusan Tadic gets his name on the score sheet
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Southampton 8 Sunderland 0 Vito Mannone reflects after Liam Bridcutt's own goal
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Southampton 8 Sunderland 0 Graziano Pelle gets his second of the game
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Southampton 8 Sunderland 0 Jack Cork bundles in the home side's third
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Southampton 8 Sunderland 0 Graziano Pelle scores Saints' second
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Southampton 8 Sunderland 0 Santiago Vergini reflects on his bizarre own goal
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Sunderland 3 Stoke City 1 Sunderland were celebrating again in the 79th minute as Steven Fletcher got his second of the afternoonn.
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Sunderland 3 Stoke City 1 Steven Fletcher helped improve the spirits at the Stadium of Light by putting the Black Cats back in front.
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Sunderland 3 Stoke City 1 Charlie Adam got Stoke City back into the game almost immediately, wiping the smile off Gus Poyet's face.
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Sunderland 3 Stoke City 1 Connor Wickham gave Sunderland early hope of finally securing their first win of the season.
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Sunderland 0 Swansea 0 Nathan Dyer, Gylfi Sigurdsson and Sebastian Larsson rush into a challenge
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Sunderland 0 Swansea 0 Billy Jones and Neil Taylor jostle for the ball out wide
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Sunderland 0 Swansea 0 Garry Monk and Diego Poyet share a word and a handshake ahead of their Premier League encounter
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Sunderland 1 Stoke City 2 Jozy Altidore opened the scoring in this Capital One Cup Third Round tie
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Sunderland 1 Stoke City 2 However Marc Muniesa of Stoke scored a brace to see the Potters through to the next round
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Burnley 0 Sunderland 0 Emanuele Giaccherini takes the ball forward for the Blackcats
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Burnley 0 Sunderland 0 John O'Shea tangles with Marvin Sordell
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Burnley 0 Sunderland 0 Kieran Trippier in action for Burnley
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Sunderland 2 Tottenham 2 Tottenham can't believe it after Harry Kane's own goal gifts Sunderland a point.
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Sunderland 2 Tottenham 2 Gus Poyet's men have impressed this season but, before the match against Spurs, were yet to get three points.
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Sunderland 2 Tottenham 2 Adam Johnson drags the Black Cats back into the game with a well taken drive.
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures Sunderland 2 Tottenham 2 Nacer Chadli puts Spurs ahead after just two minutes at the Stadium of Light. This strike was his third of the season.
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures QPR 1 Sunderland 0 Adam Johnson (right) and Clint Hill both made their first starts of the season
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures QPR 1 Sunderland 0 QPR skipper Joey Barton drives forward for the home side
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures QPR 1 Sunderland 0 QPR midfielder Leroy Fer is challenged by Jack Rodwell in the centre of midfield
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures QPR 1 Sunderland 0 Jordan Mutch and Sebastian Larsson challenge for the aerial ball
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures QPR 1 Sunderland 0 Charlie Austin reacts to fire home his first ever Premier League goal
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures QPR 1 Sunderland 0 Austin's goal gave QPR their first points of the season with his goal right on the stroke of half-time
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures West Brom 2 Sunderland 2 Sebastian Larsson and Lee Cattermole celebrate after the former scores an equalising goal in the 2-2 draw between West Brom and Sunderland
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures West Brom 2 Sunderland 2 West Brom fans stand up in celebration of the equalising goal
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures West Brom 2 Sunderland 2 Saido Berahino celebrates scoring an equaliser from the penalty spot
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures West Brom 2 Sunderland 2 Saido Berahino converts a first-half penalty to level the scores at 1-1
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures West Brom 2 Sunderland 2 Lee Cattermole celebrates his early opener after giving Sunderland the lead
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures West Brom 2 Sunderland 2 Lee Cattermole strikes a long-range effort into the back of the net to give Sunderland an early lead
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Sunderland - the latest match in pictures West Brom 2 Sunderland 2 Alan Irvine waves to the crowd at the Hawthorns as he takes charge of his first match as West Brom manager
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Tottenham did not appear to have finished their celebrations when Sunderland equalised. Adam Johnson skipped past two defenders on the corner of the Spurs penalty area, his shot struck Younes Kaboul and had enough on it to beat Hugo Lloris.
Pochettino, his disappointment in check afterwards, repeatedly promised to analyse key areas of the game. That was one. However, it did not overly trouble the visitors’ momentum. Within five minutes Mannone had produced excellent saves to deny Chadli and then stood strong to deny Adebayor from close range. On another day it might have gone in. On another day Adebayor, who had his shirt tugged by John O’Shea, could have had a penalty. On another day felt about right for Tottenham.
Twice they would strike the woodwork. First, in the 38th minute, when Mousa Dembele cracked a shot off the far post of Mannone’s goal, and then in the 75th minute, when the skill of Lamela unlocked Sunderland and his curling shot cannoned back off Mannone’s crossbar.
Nacer Chadli continued his fine form to put Spurs ahead after just 2 minutes (Getty) In between had come what appeared the winning goal. Tottenham had begun the second half as the first. Within three minutes Chadli charged through, Patrick van Aanholt struck a clearance off Wes Brown and Eriksen scored from close range.
There didn’t appear a way back, but Spurs found one. Jordi Gomez’ free-kick in the 82nd minute evaded anything in a red and white shirt. Instead it struck Harry Kane and trickled past Lloris. Strong teams do not concede goals like that, nor do they drop two points so carelessly, something Pochettino recognised.
“Before we conceded the goal we created a lot of chances,” he said. “We controlled the game but you need to kill the game. We created the chance and we didn’t kill the game. We gave the opportunity to Sunderland to score in the last minute. I am very disappointed. We need to analyse the game. It is difficult for me to give an explanation. Sometimes you make a half chance and win. The last goal we conceded went across the goal. I am not worried. The most important thing is to create the chances. Maybe we have the opportunity to score more. We need to be more solid.
“We deserved to win,” he added. “You need to win. We had the possibility to win but in the end it’s 2-2 and we only get one point. At the moment we are disappointed.
“My priority is to analyse the first goal, and what we did after. You need to be more smart. This is easy for Sunderland to score.”
Gus Poyet could barely conceal his relief. Sunderland have not won a League game this season, but he does not appear overly worried.
“Yes I am pleased,” admitted Poyet. “It was the hardest game we have had so far this season. They are the best team we have played by far. It was a proper point, one you had to work really hard to get.
“The more we talk about the league win we don’t yet have the more difficult it will become but we have lost one game in five. That is the other way around.”
In injury time the substitute Will Buckley skied a fine opportunity from 12 yards. Defeat would have been harsh for everything Tottenham did, but there was still a significant lesson to be learned.
Line-ups:
Sunderland (4-1-4-1): Mannone; Vergini, O’Shea, Brown, Van Aanholt; Cattermole; Alvarez (Buckley, 65), Larsson (Giaccherini, 65), Rodwell (Gomez, 79), Johnson; Wickham.
Tottenham Hotspur (4-4-1-1): Lloris; Dier, Kaboul, Chiriches, Rose; Lamela, Dembele, Capoue, Chadli (Stambouli, 70); Eriksen (Lennon, 86); Adebayor (Kane, 79).
Referee: Craig Pawson.
Man of the match: Lamela (Tottenham Hotspur)
Match rating: 7/10
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