Kyle Walker’s cross was headed down by Dele Alli and Sunderland defender Papy Djilobodji missed the clearance completely, allowing Kane to seize his chance.
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Spurs’ star striker went down late with what appeared to be an ankle injury.
Spurs pressed for a second to make the game safe and Pochettino was visibly frustrated on the touchline as substitute Lamela, Son and Kane all flashed shots wide. We’re still trying to see better play of the ball, we try and play better, but we’re just at the start.
Sunderland manager David Moyes: “Steven Pienaar had a great chance and we probably need to score any chance we get”. “There may be a problem with his ligaments, but it’s hard to assess today”.
Mauricio Pochettino must wait to find out the severity of the injury suffered by matchwinner Harry Kane against Sunderland, although he is confident over Mousa Dembele and Eric Dier’s fitness.
“Dier and Dembele only felt cramps in the hamstring – nothing big”, Pochettino added.
“I told you that we needed to learn and feel that it is a different competition the Premier League and to share the Champions League, and we need to improve”.
Still though, it was the three points that Spurs wanted, and three points is what they got.
Sunderland’s Jason Denayer, left, and Tottenham Hotspur’s Son Heung-Min in action during their English Premier League soccer match at White Hart Lane in London, Sunday Sept. 18, 2016. The 27-year-old’s defending matched the visitors’ pink and purple third kit – comical. It wasn’t until the twenty minute mark that the lads had a chance of their own, with Defoe latching onto the end of a hoofed long ball to fire straight at Spurs ‘keeper Hugo Lloris, hardly troubling the Frenchman. It was a miserable end to another trying afternoon for Sunderland and there was a worry for Spurs too, when Kane was taken off before the end, holding his ankle.
The South Korea worldwide was a bundle of energy down the left flank in the opening exchanges, with Sunderland goalkeeper Jordan Pickford being forced into a brilliant reaction save at his near post to keep out Kane’s close-range shot after nine minutes.
Pochettino made a host of changes from side who lost to Monaco in the Champions League, but he stuck with Son at the expense of Christian Eriksen and Erik Lamela.
“I was disappointed with him, but I was also disappointed with the referee, because it was a free kick on the edge of the box and he doesn’t give it, and Adnan shouldn’t have spoke back to the referee”, he said.
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“I’m happy for him, his first season was very tough, but today his performance was fantastic”.
