Premier League: Tottenham Hotspur suffer defeat under Roberto de Zerbi
What's the story
Tottenham Hotspur's new head coach, Roberto de Zerbi, suffered a disappointing start to his tenure as the team lost 0-1 to Sunderland in Matchweek 32 of the Premier League 2025-26 season on Sunday. The match marked Spurs's 14th consecutive Premier League game without a win in 2026. De Zerbi took over after Igor Tudor was sacked just 44 days into his reign. Here's more.
Match analysis
Tottenham's lack of quality evident in the game
Despite their efforts, Tottenham's performance under de Zerbi was disappointing. The team's lack of quality was evident in the game, especially when Nordi Mukiele's 20-yard shot deflected off Spurs defender Micky van de Ven and left keeper Antonin Kinsky helpless. The goal marked the beginning of Tottenham's downfall in the match against Sunderland.
Injury update
Spurs captain Cristian Romero forced off with potential concussion
Tottenham captain, Cristian Romero, was forced to leave the match after suffering a potential concussion. The injury occurred when Sunderland striker Brian Brobbey nudged him into keeper Kinsky. The incident further compounded Spurs's woes in their defeat against Sunderland under new head coach De Zerbi.
League standing
Tottenham rooted into relegation zone: Points table
The defeat against Sunderland left Tottenham in the relegation zone, trailing West Ham United by two points. This comes after West Ham's 4-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Friday. After 32 games, Tottenham own 30 points. This was their 16th defeat of the season. Nottingham Forest, who drew 1-1 against Aston Villa, are 16th with 33 points. West Ham are next with 32 points. Meanwhile, the win for Sunderland means they are 10th with 46 points under their belt.
Do you know?
14-game winless run for Tottenham in the Premier League
Tottenham are winless in 14 Premier League games. In this phase, they have clocked 5 draws and 9 defeats. Their last win in the competition came against Crystal Palace back on December 28, 2025.
Match stats
Here are the match stats
Hosts Sunderland had 52.5% ball possession and owned an xG of 1.79. They had two shots on target from 13 attempts. Tottenham had 7 shots on target from 11 attempts. Their xG was 0.91. Sunderland also created three big chances. In terms of touches in the opposition box, Spurs edged past the Black Cats (26-21).