Five things we learned from Tottenham’s 1-0 loss to Sunderland on De Zerbi debut day

Despite a change in the dugout, Tottenham Hotspur’s winless run in 2026 continues, with Sunderland beating Roberto De Zerbi on his debut.

Here are five things we learned from Sunderland 1-0 Tottenham:

Tottenham slump continues after defeat to Sunderland

These are really dark times now for Tottenham Hotspur, who are doing everything but fighting to stay up at the moment.

Coming into the clash against Sunderland, Tottenham knew that a victory was needed if they were to move away from the relegation places following West Ham United’s 4-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers earlier in the gameweek.

However, the Lilywhites failed to respond and fell short once more, losing 1-0 to newly promoted Sunderland.

That has now compounded their misery, with relegation looking very real. It is clear that Spurs now need some luck in this fight, but they have not had any, and the deflected goal conceded this afternoon summed it all up.

In the last few months, we have seen Spurs go from being 12 points clear of the relegation places on matchday 19 to now being firmly in the relegation zone.

Cristian Romero leaves pitch in tears after injury scare

At this rate, Tottenham fans will barely be surprised when they see their players pick up injuries, given the number they have had to deal with this season.

Many will have hoped to have Mohammed Kudus back in the side today, but despite returning to training earlier in the week, Kudus suffered an even longer setback with an injury that is set to keep him out until the summer, with surgery very likely.

Now, Cristian Romero looks to be the latest to have picked up an injury. After a collision with Antonin Kinsky, he was forced off, leaving him visibly distraught as he gave way to tears before leaving the pitch.

The length of the injury is one we will have to keep an eye on, but it could very well be a case of Spurs pushing for survival without their captain with six games left.

Richarlison struggles to capitalise on Tottenham’s half-chances

Many Tottenham fans will have been eagerly waiting to witness De Zerbi-ball live for the first time this season following his appointment ten days ago.

The new boss had already stated that it will take time before the players understand his principles, admitting that it could well be a mix of defensive and offensive solidity.

Today, we saw that for most of the game, with Tottenham creating some good chances of their own, but most of those chances fell to Richarlison.

Given that he has scored ten goals this season and that he is the leading scorer at Spurs, there is no one else you would rather have those chances fall to, but today, he left his shooting boots at home, with most of his efforts falling into the ‘tame’ category, barely threatening Roefs.

Destiny Udogie proves a constant threat down the Tottenham left

It was not all gloom, with a few positives, one being Destiny Udogie’s performance on the left for Tottenham.

The Italian offered both offensive and defensive cover on his side of the pitch. While he was not always marauding forward, he picked his moments and, when he did get on the overlap, he managed to put in a couple of good crosses into the box.

He also inverted in the second half, offering a good mix for Spurs, a solid shift he can be proud of and improve on.

Antonin Kinsky bounces back well after Atletico nightmare

Kinsky is surely another who can be proud of his performance today for Tottenham. This afternoon marked the Czech international’s first start in the Premier League and his first start since his nightmare against Atletico Madrid.

Many will have feared the worst, but today it was far from the case, with Kinsky an assured figure between the sticks.

There was little he could do to prevent the goal from the Black Cats, but he also showed his shot-stopping ability, preventing Sunderland from going in front late in the first half.

He picked up a knock later in the game after colliding with Romero, but he showed great determination to play through the injury.

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