Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Sunderland: Eriksen wins it at the death for Spurs

A late Christian Eriksen strike ensured there was no fairytale start for Jermain Defoe in his Sunderland career.

This game got off to a quick start and set the scene for what was to come later. The first major incident was in fact the first goal for Spurs courtesy of Jan Vertonghen and a very kind deflection. An aimless long ball was cleared by Santiago Vergini only as far as Christian Eriksen down the Spurs right who quickly whipped the ball into the middle where Vertonghen met it left footed where the ball then looped over Costel Pantilimon courtesy of a cruel deflection in just the third minute.

Eriksen continued to be heavily involved for Spurs as he nearly doubled their lead in the 17th minute when former Sunderland loanee Danny Rose's cross was cleared straight to him on the edge of the box and his right foot shot had to be well saved by Pantilimon low to his left. Ten minutes later and again the Romanian keeper had to deny Eriksen as the Dane worked space for a shot on the left and with his right foot bent it low across goal, only for the keeper to turn it around the post.

Then on the half hour mark new man Jermain Defoe used his body well and forced Vertonghen to foul him just outside the box which presented a great opportunity for Sunderland. Sebastian Larrson stepped up and from the inside left position got the ball up and down right footed so it bent into Hugo Lloris's top right corner to square things up on the day.

There was another scare for the visitors just before half time however when they left Harry Kane in loads of space on the right side of the box and he amazingly could only hit the near post with a powerful right foot effort before Rose's follow up was kept out by Pantilimon.

The second half was a lot calmer affair as Sunderland managed to defend a lot better and the half did not reach the heights of the first period until the last ten minutes. First of all the visitors threatened to nick it as first Adam Johnson hit a powerful left foot shot high across goal form 25 yards which Lloris saved well to his left only for the ball to fall for substitute Danny Graham who right footed but the rebound straight back at the downed goalkeeper.

Sunderland were punished for this missed opportunity just three minutes from time when they were caught on the break. Spurs won it back on the edge of their own box and sub Andros Townsend raced away down the left hand side before pulling back to Eriksen on the edge of the Sunderland box who then right footed placed the ball onto the inside of the right post and their saw it roll across and go in off the left post to signal jubilation at White Hart Lane.

Sunderland did not give up though and nearly got a point back when Patrick Van Aanholt's pin point cross from the left found Danny Graham in the middle of the area who hit a right foot half volley which somehow Lloris manged to crawl away from goal low to his right to seal the Tottenham victory in the last minute of stoppage time.

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