Global pair Mousa Dembele and Eric Dier also limped from the pitch in the second half with leg injuries, although Pochettino offered a more positive outlook on the midfield duo.
Advertisement
Sunderland came the closest that they would all game on the stroke of half-time, Didier Ndong linking well with Defoe to force the ball across for Steven Pienaar, who watched on in agony as his effort was swept off the line by Kyle Walker.
The home side racked up 19 shots in the first half, but Spurs couldn’t find a way past Pickford.
Son continued to terrorise his opposite number Jason Denayer after the interval, unleashing into the side-netting and flashing a ball across goal, but when the goal came, it was fellow Sunderland defender Papy Djilobodji who was culpable. Son’s left-footed attempt was deflected behind, while the brilliant Pickford clawed out Sissoko’s troublesome cross right under the bar.
It was the same one-way traffic in the second half before Spurs finally took the lead after 59 minutes.
Alan Pardew’s side got off to a flying start when James Tomkins gave them a ninth-minute lead, before Scott Dann doubled their advantage with a header two minutes later.
The Black Cats were reduced to 10 men late on when Adnan Januzaj was shown a second yellow card but the sending off barely affected the contest, which Spurs dominated from start to finish.
I’m happy for him, but disappointed with his injury.
But it proved a bittersweet afternoon for the England striker as he was stretchered off with an ankle injury sustained late on in the game. Only we have to wait, to see tomorrow.
“I think it is a good result, for the chances we created it is hard to understand why we only won 1-0”.
‘He has everything to become a first-class keeper, ‘ Moyes said after Pickford conceded three goals against Everton last week.
Advertisement
“From the beginning of the last two seasons when we played in the Europa League we rotated almost 11 players and today the Premier League is completely different”, he said. “Credit to the players, that’s what we are at the moment – we have to be resilient in games and looking to get things”, he said.
