Tottenham v Sunderland: Preview, Team News, KO, TV And More…
By Logan Holmes
[Photo: Jav The_DoC_66]Tottenham play Sunderland at White Hart Lane hoping to improve on their home record while Sunderland are desperate for points in their battle against relegation.
Up-dated with Team:
Lloris; Naughton, Chiriches, Kaboul, Rose; Lennon, Chadli, Paulinho, Eriksen; Adebayor, Kane Subs: Friedel, Fryers, Veljkovic, Bentaleb, Sandro, Sigurdsson, Townsend
Which team will have the greater motivation coning into this evening’s clash at White Hart Lane? Tottenham again came in for criticism for the way they made it so easy for Liverpool at Anfield in their last game while Sunderland are now at the foot of the Premier League table needed a win to revive heir chances of staying in the top-flight.
Date: Monday, 7th April, 2014
Kick-off Time: 8.00pm (UK time)
TV Channel: Sky Sports 1
Related Article:
Spurs Home Premier League Record against Sunderland: Read more
Last weekend’s results meant that Sunderland dropped to 20th place in the Premier League. They are currently 7 points from safety but have 3 game sin hand over the teams above them. The major concern for the Wearsiders is that, after tonight, their three remaining away games take them to Manchester City, Chelsea and Old Trafford.
Sunderland’s season started badly under Paulo di Canio, it improved in mid-season under Gus Poyet which also saw them reach the League Cup Final and the FA Cup 6th Round. Since defeating Newcastle at St. James’ Park on 1st February, however, Sunderland have managed to take only 1 point from 6 league games. Their last match saw them go down 2 – 1 at the Stadium of Light to West Ham while their last away match at Anfield ended with a similar scoreline.
With 25 points from 30 games, Sunderland have won 3 and drawn 4 of their away games. As well as their success at Newcastle, they have won at Everton (1 – 0) and Fulham (4 – 1). Their drawn games were at Southampton (1 – 1), Aston Villa and West Ham (both 0 – 0), and Cardiff (2 – 2). Their heaviest defeats were at Swansea (0 – 4) and Arsenal (1 – 4).
Return to the Lane
The Sunderland management duo, Gus Poyet and his assistant Mauricio Taricco will both be returning to White Hart Lane where they spent a number of years as players with Poyet also being assistant to Juande Ramos when spurs win the Carling Cup in 2008.
Poyet joined Tottenham from Chelsea in 2001, spending three seasons at Spurs. He made 98 appearances for Tottenham and scored 23 goals. He was in the team which lost to Blackburn in the 2002 Worthington Cup final. he returned as assistant to Ramos in 2007 but left a year later when Ramos was sacked.
Taricco joined Tottenham in 1999 after 5 seasons with Ipswich. He 156 appearances for Spurs and scored 2 goals. He left in 2004. He became Poyet’s assistant at Brighton in 2010 wand came out of retirement to make a number of appearances for the club. On Poyet’s appointment at the Stadium of Light Taricco was reunited on the coaching staff.
Team News
Spurs will be without Jav Vertonghen and Roberto Soldado as well as other long term absentees. Emmanuel Adebayor and Paulinho are thought to be available as could Vlad Chiriches. Kyle Walker and Erik Lamela are still out with injury.
Sunderland will be without Steven Fletcher and Keiren Westwood but Adam Johnston could return after impressing in the latter stages as a substitute against West Ham.
The very least that is expected from Tottenham this evening is a win. They are overdue a good home win but with Sunderland fighting for their Premier League lives, we may have to be satisfied with the three points however they come.Whether Spurs achieve that will depend on which set of players are more focused on the game. Will Tottenham who have slipped out of contention for a top-4 and probably even a 5th place finish, be motivated to play through these final six games or will the players regard the season as being over? If that happens to be the case Poyet will expect his players to take advantage and make life as uncomfortable as possible for spurs and Tim Sherwood.