Tottenham held by Sunderland at White Hart Lane
Tottenham failed to overcome Sunderland at White Hart Lane on Tuesday, 9 November, after Asamoah Gyan cancelled out Rafael van der Vaart's second-half strike.
Harry Redknapp's side had 12 shots on target during the game, but it was only van der Vaart's close-range strike on 65 minutes that managed to beat Craig Gordon.
Luka Modric tested Gordon from outside the box early on, and the in-form Roman Pavlyuchenko showed his confidence by advancing into the Sunderland half and hitting a diving shot just wide from 25 yards.
Tottenham's Tom Huddlestone lurked outside the box at a corner in 18th minute, receiving the loose ball and hitting it cleanly onto the corner of the woodwork before it rebounded back into play.
Huddlestone then combined with van der Vaart as the home team continued to threaten from corners, but after working exchanging passes with his teammate, the Dutchman's short was parried by Gordon at the
near post.
David Bentley, making his first league start of the season, skipped inside from the right flank to unleash a long-range drive with his left foot, but Gordon ensured the scores were level at the break.
Crouch offers van der Vaart space in the box
Seven minutes into the second half, half-time substitute Peter Crouch attracted all of Sunderland's attention as the defence prepared to deal with Alan Hutton's cross from the right.
As a result, van der Vaart found himself in space by the penalty spot, but his header went narrowly wide of the far post.
After coming close with another header from Bentley's corner, the playmaker was finally to be rewarded in the 65th minute, when Crouch headed down Gareth Bale's cross to the Dutch international, who turned
and tucked the ball away inside the six-yard box after being left unmarked again.
Despite their effective partnership of late, Younes Kaboul and William Gallas gifted Sunderland an equaliser only two minutes after their team took the lead.
The defensive duo both stepped up to clear the same ball, and when they failed to do so Gyan stole in behind them and finished to the right of Heurelho Gomes.
As the game intensified, Sunderland's Lee Cattermole jumped into a tackle on Modric with his studs up to the fury of the Croatian's teammates, receiving only a booking from referee Howard Webb.
Tottenham now sixth in the table
Tottenham failed to score a late winner and Redknapp was disappointed with dropping two points at home after the game.
The results sees Redknapp's team slip to sixth in the table with 16 points from 12 games. Tottenham could be overtaken by Bolton Wanderers, Liverpool or West Bromwich Albion after they play on Wednesday,
10 November.
Sunderland are seventh in the table, level on points with Tuesday's opponents.
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