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OPPONENTS |
Sunderland |
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COMPETITION | Premier League | ||||||||||||||
DATE | Sunday 13th September 2015 | ||||||||||||||
VENUE | Stadium of Light | ||||||||||||||
PREVIEW
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With the transfer window slamming shut and the door to the first
team slamming shut on Adebayor, the signings of Clinton Njie and
Heung-Min Son will have to act as the necessary support in carrying
the goal-scoring burden by Harry Kane. How the new Spurs will fare at Sunderland, with play-maker Christian Eriksen missing again will be interesting to see, but I imagine that it won't be too much different from the games already this season. The failure to take the chances we have made have cost us and that is what will make the difference between not getting three points and recording our first win of the campaign. The hosts are struggling at the bottom of the early season table. There lack of goals and indecisiveness at the back has cost them so far, but last time out, they recorded a good point against Aston Villa, scoring twice and previously had earned a point against Swansea City. One of the concerns to Black Cat supporters is the presence of Younes Kaboul, who joined from Spurs earlier this summer and his part in the goals conceded. There are a few options available to Dick Advocaat, with Billy Jones, Patrick van Anholt, John O'Shea and Sebastian Coates all available, but the centre of the back four looking as soft as a strawberry cream, it might provide opportunities, if Spurs can get players onto that department of the defence. Two players currently unavailable are new signing Adam Matthews from Glasgow Celtic who is injured and loan signing DeAndre Yedlin from Spurs, who is not allowed to play against us. Having signed a couple of players who top clubs have looked at during the window, Sunderland should be well served in midfield, with Yann M'Vila and Jeremain Lens coming in from Russia to add strength and attacking options. Seb Larsson is still there, although his free-kick duties seem to have been delegated to the new-comers, while Lee Cattermole is still there to pick up the cards from the ref. Jordi Gomez is injured and that leaves Jack Rodwell as the only other selection option, with Adam Johnson being injured too. There is a lot of power in the midfield, but how that is turned into attack will be determined by how much pressure Spurs put on them. They have shown the propensity to turn over the ball easily, so it might be that we can gain possession, but need to do so high up the pitch to turn it into dangerous situations. The Sunderland forward line has been boosted by the loan signing from Rennes of the former Ajax striker Ola Toivonen, who scored last time out and alongside Steven Fletcher (who is ruled out with a knock for this game), Jermain Defoe and new signing Fabio Borini as well as Danny Graham, there are a few years of experience there. The issue has been supply to them and the upgrades in midfield might have improved the supply lines to the strikers. It will mean that the Spurs defence cannot afford any errors and need to start showing opponents away from goal and not allowing them to come inside to get shots on goal. If Son starts in Eriksen's role, then that does give Tottenham a scoring threat from behind Kane, but the contribution from Lamela and Chadli needs to improve to give other teams more to worry about. Ryan Mason has been getting forward into more advanced positions and runs from deep do give the other side problems in picking players up, so some more of that might get our players in behind the defence. All they have to do then, is take the chances that come their way !! With Sunderland desperate
for points and Tottenham still to win this season, it looks like
there will be an element of necessity about this game. The
home side will do all they can to shut Spurs down to stop them
getting forward and it will need a spark of magic to open up what
will be a determined Advocaat line-up. While a win would shoot
us up to mid-table, I foresee another point being added to our total
that will take us above Chelsea. |
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PREDICTION | Sunderland 1 Tottenham Hotspur 1 | ||||||||||||||
Click here for more info on opponents - stats v thfc , an alternative history, etc. | |||||||||||||||
Last season's corresponding fixture | |||||||||||||||
TOTTENHAM
HOTSPUR TEAM NEWS : Spurs will be missing Christian Eriksen again with his knee injury, with Mousa Dembele's foot injury ruling him out of contention. Clinton Njie is not yet match fit, but Heung-Min Son will be ready to play. |
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SUNDERLAND TEAM NEWS : Steven Fletcher (knock), Adam Matthews (foot) and Adam Johnson (shoulder) are all unavailable and Jordi Gomez's fractured knee cap rules him out. New signing Fabio Borini may make his debut after signing permanently. |
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COVERAGE :
TV For coverage in all parts of the world, check here and here.
Radio : If
available on BBC radio, it can supposedly be heard
in these countries on these stations ...
Internet : |
Sunderland
0 (0)
Premier League Sunday 13th September 2015 Stadium of Light |
Tottenham Hotspur 1 (0) Kick off 13:30 |
Goal-scorers | |
None | Mason 81m 27s |
Cards | |
Borini (persistent fouling) 21 Jones (persistent fouling) 42
|
Vertonghen (foul on Lens) 16
|
Crowd : 40,303 | Weather : Sunny, mild |
Referee : Craig Pawson (Sheffield) | Assistant Referees : Mr. D. Cann; Mr. A. Halliday |
Fourth Official : Andre Marriner | - |
Tottenham kicked off and played towards the Carling Stand end in the first half. | |
Game time : - 90 + minutes. |
Sunderland : | kit | Tottenham Hotspur : | kit |
1
Costel
PANTILIMON
2 Billy JONES
21
Yann M'VILA
17
Jeremain LENS
Unused subs: |
1
Hugo LLORIS (c)
2
Kyle WALKER
8
Ryan MASON
20
Dele
ALLI (11
Erik
LAMELA 67) 10 Harry KANE
Unused subs: |
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Manager : Dick Advocaat | Manager : Mauricio Pochettino | ||
Sponsor : dafabet | Shirt sponsor : AIA | ||
Kit Supplier : adidas | Kit Supplier : Under Armour | ||
Match report A trip to the North-East is not usually at the top of the list of away-days for Spurs fans, as it is miles away (for most of us) and we do not have a great history of doing well there. Last season's draw was a case in point, with a win beckoning, an own goal from (of all people) Harry Kane, late on levelled things for the Black Cats and gave them an undeserved point. So, with Sunderland sitting bottom of the table and without a win, charitable Tottenham came to town.
A couple of early forays into
the Sunderland defensive third saw Spurs have a penalty shout and a
cross that should have been more of an opportunity. With 30 seconds
on the clock, Kyle Walker took the ball into the area and was
blocked off by Patrick van Anholt, with the referee not giving
anything, when a penalty or more likely obstruction would have been
the normal outcome. Within a minute, Dele Alli, making his first
start for Tottenham, got into the right hand corner at the
Sunderland end, where he produced a marvellous nut-meg on Fabio
Borini and then had two men in the box, but put the ball straight
into Pantilimon's stomach. So, we are on the way with a win under our belts. Crystal Palace next in the league and they have had a good start, but perhaps our corner has been turned. Aidenby
Quernhow |
PUB
FACT*
Sunderland's home ground
is built on the site of a former coal-mine and fans still try to use
some of the disused shafts to enter the stadium for free, if they
can avoid the stewards and the hazardous gases that remain in the
mine. |
Match sponsors | - |
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Match ball sponsors | - |
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Match shirt sponsors | - |
What you thought | |
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Other scores during this week : | ||||
Arsenal | 2 | Stoke City | 0 | Saturday |
Crystal Palace | 0 | Manchester City | 1 | Saturday |
Everton | 3 | Chelsea | 1 | Saturday |
Manchester United | 3 | Liverpool | 1 | Saturday |
Norwich City | 3 | Bournemouth | 1 | Saturday |
Watford | 1 | Swansea City | 0 | Saturday |
West Bromwich Albion | 0 | Southampton | 0 | Saturday |
Leicester City | 3 | Aston Villa | 2 | Sunday |
West Ham United | 2 | Newcastle United | 0 | Monday |
League Table | |||||||||
P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | GD | ||
1 | Manchester City | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 15 | +11 |
2 | Leicester City | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 7 | 11 | +4 |
3 | Manchester United | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 10 | +3 |
4 | Arsenal | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 10 | +2 |
5 | West Ham United | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 4 | 9 | +7 |
6 | Crystal Palace | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 6 | 9 | +2 |
7 | Everton | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 5 | 8 | +3 |
8 | Swansea City | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 8 | +2 |
9 | Norwich City | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 9 | 7 | -1 |
10 | Liverpool | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 7 | -3 |
11 | Southampton | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 0 |
12 | TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 0 |
13 | Watford | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 6 | -1 |
14 | West Bromwich Albion | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 5 | -3 |
15 | Bournemouth | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 4 | -3 |
16 | Aston Villa | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 8 | 4 | -2 |
17 | Chelsea | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 12 | 4 | -5 |
18 | Stoke City | 5 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 2 | -4 |
19 | Sunderland | 5 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 11 | 2 | -5 |
20 | Newcastle United | 5 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 2 | -5 |
Position before match :
17th
Position after match : 12th
Position after the weekend : 12th
* Pub facts may not actually be true, but after a few pints everyone will think so.