Summary of this article
Roberto De Zerbi’s first game in charge of Tottenham ended in a 1-0 defeat to Sunderland
Nordi Mukiele’s deflected strike in the 61st minute proved to be the winner at Stadium of Light
The loss was Spurs’ 16th of the season, keeping them in relegation zone and two points from safety
Roberto De Zerbi’s debut as Tottenham Hotspur’s head coach ended in a 1-0 defeat to Sunderland in the English Premier League 2025-26. The defeat on Sunday at the Stadium of Light left Spurs stuck in the relegation zone, two points from safety with just six games remaining.
It was a toothless display from the Tottenham attack, which failed to test Robin Roef’s goal for most of the contest. Nordi Mukiele’s strike in the 61st minute, which went in after a big deflection off Micky van de Ven, proved to be the winner, condemning Spurs to their 16th league defeat of the season and their seventh in the last eight matches.
Tottenham have now managed just one point from a possible 24 during that period, making the threat of relegation ever-so-real for last season’s UEFA Europa League winners.
De Zerbi, who was appointed as the club’s third head coach of the season following the departure of interim boss Igor Tudor, has failed to bring about a change of fortune. The Lilywhites will next face De Zerbi’s former club Brighton on April 18.
Relegation Fight Tightens
Tottenham’s fight to save their top-flight status became tougher as relegation rivals Nottingham Forest secured a 1-1 draw against Aston Villa, moving three points clear of Spurs. Murillo’s own goal put Villa ahead in the 23rd minute, but Neco Williams equalised in the first half to rescue a point for Vitor Pereira’s side.
Elsewhere, Crystal Palace beat Newcastle United 2-1 at Selhurst Park. William Osula had put the Magpies ahead before half-time. Jean-Philippe Mateta scored twice – in the 80th minute and then from the penalty spot in stoppage time – to complete the comeback for the Eagles.
In the top half of the table, Manchester City continued their title push with a 3-0 win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
