Tottenham frustrated by Sunderland as Jack Rodwell's escape helps Black Cats hold on for point

Sunderland 0-0 Tottenham: Rodwell could have been dismissed for an ugly challenge but was only booked

Eric Dier and Jermain Defoe went toe-to-toe but both will feel like they lost out (Getty)

This was not in the script; to fight back so gloriously at Manchester City and then 10 days later struggle to raise a pulse at Sunderland, but for Tottenham came a slip, and a fairly uninspired one at that.

There has been a swagger for much of what Mauricio Pochettino and his side have done this campaign but it did not travel north to the Stadium of Light. They had scored 10 goals on their three previous travels in the Premier League. It was a tally never threatened. Sunderland played three centre halves and their visitors played half-paced and in front of them.

It felt so much of a missed opportunity. Half-chances, half-hearted and not the side who Pep Guardiola had called the country’s most entertaining. Sunderland made it three games without scoring but they cared little about that, grabbing their first point since the start of the month. They remain deeply entrenched in relegation trouble, five points now adrift of safety. Still, for them at least it was a priceless point.

Tottenham will point to their dominance of possession, and yet for all of that, the best chance of the night fell to Sunderland. In the 23rd minute the ball was hoisted forward to Fabio Borini, who took a touch and then watched the ball bounce off the hand of Kyle Walker. It still fell kindly for the Italian, but for a player shorn of confidence and devoid of belief anymore from his own supporters, he shot tamely at Michel Vorm from the edge of the penalty area with just the Tottenham goalkeeper to beat. That Borini’s first thought after spurning the kind of opportunity his team do not make was to appeal to the referee said a huge deal. Borini should probably have left Sunderland during the transfer window, and he is not alone.

It said much, however, that a support who had expected a miserable night, applauded their team off at half time. It was not quite a red and white wall that David Moyes had built with the five defenders he played, but it had stifled Spurs with surprising ease.

Dele Alli in particular, became increasingly peripheral as the game went on. It was not the most inspiring of tactics from Moyes, to suffocate and counter, but it worked surprisingly well.

When Jason Denayer gave the ball away in the sixth minute, and Spurs had a half chance through Harry Kane, it looked like a scene was being set, but it never came to prominence. Jermain Defoe was always dangerous, giving a show of his predatory prowess in the ninth minute and Toby Alderweireld looked sufficiently worried. Defoe had then set up Borini, who missed his kick.

Vito Mannone’s first real exertions came in the 24th minute, when he tipped away a long range shot from Victor Wanyama, to his right. Perhaps the game would have turned had Jack Rodwell been sent off for hacking Mousa Dembele down as the midfielder broke for the visitors. It was cynical but it looked dangerous as well, but Lee Mason produced a yellow and the tenacity of Sunderland’s play did not relent.

Jack Rodwell arguably should have been dismissed (Getty)

Tottenham could never muster anything that really threatened. Ben Davies, who replaced the injured Danny Rose, saw Kane miss a decent chance to connect to a left wing cross that was struck with pace early in the second half. It set the tone. Spurs took more control of the game, Sunderland were content to take the life out of it and Mannone was never that troubled.

In the 55th minute he went down low to his left to stop Christian Eriksen’s free-kick, but it was a routine stop. Kyle Walker saw an angled shot deflected over, Alli’s effort from 12 yards struck Billy Jones and went over the bar.

It was that kind of night, for the player and his team.

Sunderland (5-3-2): Mannone; Jones, Kone, O’Shea, Denayer, Manquillo; Ndong, Rodwell, Larsson; Borini (Honeyman 72), Defoe.

Tottenham (4-2-3-1): Vorm; Walker, Alderweireld, Dier, Rose (Davies 38); Dembele (Janssen 85), Wanyama; Eriksen, Alli, Son (Sissoko 70); Kane.

Ref: Mr Lee Mason