Christian Eriksen Inspires Tottenham To Score Five Against Sunderland
By Logan Holmes
Christian Eriksen was the inspiration as Tottenham recovered from conceding an early goal to score five against relegation threatened Sunderland as Emmanuel Adebayor scored twice.
Tottenham Hotspur 5 Sunderland 1
Scorers: Adebayor (2), Kane, Eriksen, Sigurdsson Cattermole
Team: Lloris; Naughton, Chiriches, Kaboul, Rose; Lennon (Townsend), Chadli (Sigurdsson), Paulinho (Veljkovic), Eriksen; Adebayor, Kane Subs: Friedel, Fryers, Bentaleb, Sandro
Tottenham recovered from going a goal down to Sunderland in the first half to equalise before the interval and then go on to score four goals in the second half with three coming in the final 13 minutes.
On the day that reports circulated in the media of his departure from the manager’s position in the summer, Tim Sherwood introduced Vlad Chiriches into central defence in place of the injured Jan Vertonghen. Paulinho and Emmanuel Adebayor returned to the team with Harry Kane starting his first Premier League game for Spurs in a 4-4-2 formation. Nabil Bentaleb and Gylfi Sigurdsson who started against Liverpool dropped to the bench with Sandro and Andros Townsend.
Tottenham again conceded a goal to give Sunderland an early advantage courtesy of another defensive mistake. This time it was Chiriches who caused the problem after 16 minutes. He took a throw on the right, giving it back to Hugo Lloris. The throw was short forcing the goalkeeper to play it quickly back to his central defender who tried to find Kaboul with a cross field pass. It was misdirected and allowed Cattermole to intercept and shot low from 25 yards into an empty net as Lloris tried to scramble back.
The game had started at a good pace with both teams getting forward and after early possession an Eriksen cross took a deflection forcing the goalkeeper to push the ball over the bar. Spurs continued to press but it was Sunderland who came closest to going ahead after 13 minutes. A free-kick was met by Brown whose header went across goal with Lloris rooted to the spot.
After going behind, Spurs responded well and only a good save prevented Kane equalising inside two minutes. A shot by Nacer Chadli was blocked but fell to Kane in the area but his low shot was well saved by by Mannone. With a series of free-kicks around the area Spurs threatened and when one was played across the edge of the box, Naughton’s shot curled past the post after 21 minutes. Two minutes later the ball was played into Kane but his shot was blocked and when it fell to Lennon he laid it across the area to Adebayor who lifted his shot over the bar.
Emmanuel Adebayor after making it 4. [Photo: Jav The_Doc_66]After 25 minutes, a Sunderland break allowed Borini to shoot but Lloris saved well. Spurs then drew level two minutes later when a cross by Eriksen was knocked into the net by Adebayor.
On 30 minutes, Spurs broke quickly through Lennon who played the ball to Kane. His shot was saved low by the goalkeeper. A minute on a shot by Paulinho was blocked but Spurs retained possession and Rose curled a shot past the far post. Kane continued to work hard and when Rose played the ball in it took a good clearance as the young striker closed in. Spurs continued to press with Sunderland having to defend in depth to keep them at bay.
The visitors started the second half brightly as Johnson shot past. Then Kane had appeals for a penalty turned down when he went down under a challenge as he broke strongly into the area. Naughton released Lennon on the right whose cross was cleared as Eriksen closed in after 56 minutes.
On 58 minutes, Eriksen whipped in a cross from the left, it went past the defender but Kane was there to put it beyond the goalkeeper for his first Premier League goal for Tottenham.
From that point Spurs started to dominate and force their advantage home. Sunderland were finding it more difficult to break from defence as Spurs retained possession well with crisp passing around the Sunderland box. Gus Poyet’s team were still working hard to block Spurs shots but gradually the Spurs pressure told with Sunderland restricted to only the occasional foray forward. In the 77th minute, Eriksen who had created the opening two goals turned scorer when the ball was played from Adebayor through Chadli to him on the left of the box. He took aim and the shot across the goal took a deflection giving Mannone no chance.
Spurs were playing with a greater freedom and were shooting at will. A demoralised Sunderland side were caught out and Adebayor had a chance with ten minutes to play. He cut in from the left but his low shot was weak when Kane was free in the centre. The fourth goal came after 85 minutes when Adebayor was on hand to touch the ball home after Kane’s shot went under the keeper and was just short of the line.
With two minutes to play, Milos Veljkovic replaced Paulinho for his first senior appearance for Tottenham, another young player from the Spurs Academy making his debut. The 18-year-old, born in Switzerland, is a Serbian Under-19 international.
The final goal came in added time when from a corner, Mannone palmed the ball out. It fell to Adebayor who laid the ball wide for Kaboul who put it into the six yard box where substitute Gylfi Sigurdsson reacted first to fire it into the roof of the net – his second added time goal in successive home games.
Tottenham recorded their biggest win of the season as the team responded well to the early setback and moved back to 6th in the League. Spurs took advantage of Sunderland’s difficulties and once they had control scored the goals for a comfortable win.