Tottenham analysis: Spurs lose their cool as Heung-min Son conundrum goes on for Mauricio Pochettino

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By Tom Collomosse31 January 2017

Sunderland boss David Moyes was given some respite at the end of a frustrating January as Tottenham wasted the chance to maintain their pursuit of Premier League leaders Chelsea.

The bottom-of-the-table Black Cats gave as good as they got before the break, and then battled manfully in containing an out-of-sorts Spurs to claim a 0-0 draw and another point in their quest for survival.

Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino will certainly feel two points were left at the Stadium of Light and opposite number Moyes knows only wins will get his side out of trouble - but the Scot was given cause for hope by a spirited display as he attempts to dig the club out of a hole on the tightest of budgets.

Tom Collomosse assesses the key talking points for Spurs...

Defoe still deadly

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Jermain Defoe was given a warm reception by the Tottenham fans after two successful spells at the club, and he showed he has lost none of his edge.

Even at 34, Defoe can still give the best centre-backs in the Premier League a tough match. Toby Alderweireld is rarely flustered yet here, he often struggled to handle Defoe’s pace and movement.

Defensive concerns

If Danny Rose’s first-half injury is significant, Tottenham are likely to have to play Liverpool at Anfield on February 11 without two members of their first-choice back four – Rose and Jan Vertonghen.

Mauricio Pochettino is unlikely to revert to a back three until the Belgian is available again.

Eric Dier looked shaky at centre-back and Ben Davies is not as good as Rose. It will be quite a test for Spurs.

The Son conundrum

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With 11 goals and five assists this season, nobody can dispute Heung-min Son’s value to Tottenham. As effective as the South Korean attacker can be, though, he can also be very frustrating.

During his 73 minutes on the pitch, Son was far more dangerous than Harry Kane, Dele Alli or Christian Eriksen. Too often, though, he made a poor decision or took a poor touch.

Ref justice

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Tottenham were incredulous that Sunderland midfielder Jack Rodwell was not sent off for a knee-high tackle on Mousa Dembele in the 33rd minute.

The problem is that they lost composure because of it, with Victor Wanyama seeking instant retribution and Eriksen, Alli and Dembele arguing with referee Lee Mason at half-time.

They surely had a point but with so little margin for error in the title race, Spurs cannot lose their cool.

Lamela is needed

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Erik Lamela has not played for Tottenham since October 25, and they need him back. After spending some of his time at former club Roma as he was recovering from a hip injury, Lamela is now back in London and working with the squad.

The Argentine is inconsistent but still give Spurs an important attacking option. It seems fairly certain that as soon as he can prove his fitness, Lamela will replace Son.

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