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A former referee has dismissed Tottenham players' appeals for Brian Brobbey to be sent off following the collision that left Cristian Romero injured

Tottenham captain Cristian Romero was withdrawn injured during his side's 1-0 defeat to Sunderland following a collision with goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky. However, several of his team-mates believed Brian Brobbey was responsible for the clash and ought to have been shown a red card.

Spurs quickly fell behind in the second half of Roberto De Zerbi's maiden match in the dugout. Just eight minutes after Nordi Mukiele broke the deadlock for the hosts, a through ball was played, with Romero tracking back as it reached Kinsky.

Brobbey was giving chase and following some hesitation from the keeper, both Kinsky and Romero collided with one another quite forcefully. Romero was replaced in tears as he appeared to sustain a knee problem. Kinsky's head required bandaging after it struck his colleague's leg and 1-0 remained the final result.

Sunderland's Brobbey seemed to shove Romero while pursuing the ball and some of the Tottenham squad protested to the official about this, given the Dutchman was already carrying a yellow card. Yet former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher has dismissed these appeals, as has ex-striker Jay Bothroyd.

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"I think we have to be careful we don't get seduced by the outcome, the injury. If the goalkeeper is not there, a little nudge there, are you going to send him off?" said Gallagher on Sky Sports' Ref Watch.

"Is it a second yellow card? The answer is most certainly no. But, unluckily, the goalkeeper comes out and a collision occurs and that suddenly ramps up everyone's perspective that it's suddenly a very serious foul. But it's not a very serious foul. When you look at it, nuts and bolts, it's a little push."

Bothroyd added: "Forwards hate this. When you look at it, Romero is not in control of the ball and all he is doing is trying to block the player from getting the ball. I hate this. They are not in control of the ball but you are blocking the player from getting the ball. He doesn't want control of the ball and that's what's happened.

"So at some point, Brobbey cannot see the ball because he's so close to Romero. It's almost like he has pushed him to one side so he can see the ball, but that's the incident that comes because defenders are trying to shield the ball. We see it all the time when it's going out of play."

When told it happens all the time, Bothroyd replied: "You're not allowed to block a player if you're not in control. But that's what happens now. Romero is trying to shield the ball. He's not thinking I want to control this and pass it back."

Brobbey had already been shown a yellow card by referee Rob Jones following a first-half clash with Pedro Porro. The striker seemed to throw an elbow towards Porro while competing for possession and debate has emerged over whether this merited a red card.

On the incident, Bothroyd said: "For me, I've been in that situation, when a defender is on your back and you're trying to shove him off. You're not throwing an elbow. Yes, he hit him with an elbow. It will be sore, but he's not throwing it. He's trying to shrug him off. He wants to go back to the goal. The fact that Porro is there, holding onto him, is the reason why that happened."

Gallagher responded: "I completely agree. It is almost like, 'Get off me, get off me.' They're so close. It's not like he's a yard away and then 'bang'. He's trying to use his strength. That's what ramps up the second one. There is this myth that if you foul somebody after a yellow card you're going to get an early bath. It's a myth."

Boss De Zerbi was quizzed on the fitness of the substituted Romero following the final whistle. He said: "We have to see in the next few days. I hope that it is not too important a problem. He's a good guy and a good player with a big personality. We need him to finish the season." When pressed on whether it was a knee issue, De Zerbi added: "Maybe yes, but I don't know."

Tottenham's dire run continued on Sunday as Roberto De Zerbi lost his first game in charge at Sunderland with defender Micky van de Ven making a damning assessment

Micky van de Ven admits Tottenham are in a rut and snapping their losing run is going to prove a mental challenge after they were beaten again.

The north Londoners slipped into the bottom three on Friday night after West Ham hammered Wolves. They had the chance to respond on Sunday when they headed to Sunderland, embarking on a new era with Roberto De Zerbi at the helm.

But Tottenham's wait for a Premier League win in 2026 continued as the Black Cats won 1-0 courtesy of a deflected effort. It means Tottenham have lost seven of their last eight as the reality of a season in the Championship edges ever closer.

Van de Ven, who was a Europa League winner with Tottenham last year and would court attention from some of England's top sides, admits the losing run has taken a psychological toll and it won't be easy to get out of it.

He told Sky Sports: “I don't even think we played a bad game today, we created some opportunities to score and they didn't create much. That is the moment we are in, everything doesn't fall on our sides. At the final whistle, it's really tough.

“Mentally, it's tough. We have been suffering for the last few months when we don't get wins in the Premier League and keep struggling. We need to get the confidence back. It's really tough, we need to make sure we find this back.”

De Zerbi has come in on a hugely lucrative deal, becoming Tottenham's third manager of the season. He enjoyed a stellar reputation at Brighton, which saw him land plenty of plaudits. His style impressed, but Van de Ven knows that it is results, not performances, that will ultimately keep them in the top flight with the Italian's ideas not able to be implemented overnight.

“Every manager has their own opinion of the game and Roberto wants us to play out more from the back," said the Dutchman. “That's what he asked. He wants us to play with confidence and that is what we need to build but we don't have a long time left. We need to do it now.”

West Ham's win was followed by a point for Nottingham Forest. Leeds play Manchester United on Monday night and the Tottenham defender insists it is impossible to not follow the other scores.

He said: “You don't want to look at the other results and just need to win. You can't say you don't look at the other team. Six games left to get as many points as possible. There is pressure now as we are in the relegation zone but we need to make sure we get out of this situation.”

Roberto De Zerbi lost his first game in charge of Tottenham, as they suffered a 1-0 defeat away to Sunderland, leaving them two points adrift of safety with six matches remaining

Dejected Roberto De Zerbi admits that his Tottenham players 'don't have the 'confidence to play great football', admitting that he 'feels sorry for them'. Spurs suffered a 1-0 loss away to Sunderland in De Zerbi's first game in charge.

The Italian was appointed to replace Igor Tudor, who last month parted ways with Tottenham after only seven matches. Spurs' troubles have led them to 18th place, two points from safety as they stare into the abyss of a first relegation since 1977.

De Zerbi admitted in his first press conference that he'll put his philosophy to one side and prioritise results until the end of this season. That approach didn't work at Sunderland, with Tottenham failing to make use of their 48 per cent possession.

"We played a good game, maybe not enough to win but we were unlucky in a few situations in the first half," De Zerbi told Match of the Day post-match. "I cannot say anything to the players because they gave their best in terms of attitude and spirit.

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"We can play better for sure and you can feel better. We have to work on that. My work is not so much on the pitch because they are good guys and I am sorry for them. I want to give them confidence in what they need.

"Tactically, we played a good first half. With the ball and without the ball. We don't have confidence to play great football but we did what we have been working on this week. The players can play better if they are feeling confident."

Will Tottenham go down? Give us your prediction in the comments section.

The former Brighton boss also said: " My work is not so much on the pitch, they are good guys, I feel sorry for them. I can be a big brother, father.

"They don't need a coach. They don't need to improve football. They need confidence... Once we are able to win a game, everything will change."

That change will need to come fast. Spurs face Brighton next Saturday, crucially before two of their relegation rivals, Nottingham Forest and West Ham, are in action. A win - something they haven't done in the Premier League in 2026 - would see them climb out of the relegation zone.

Tottenham were beaten 1-0 by Sunderland in Roberto De Zerbi's first game as manager, leaving them two points adrift of safety in their fight to avoid relegation

Jamie Carragher believes that 'awful' Tottenham will go down after Roberto De Zerbi's first game as manager ended in defeat. Spurs fell to a limp 1-0 loss away to Sunderland in their first game since parting ways with Igor Tudor.

Languishing in the relegation zone, Tottenham are now two points from safety with six games remaining, as West Ham and Nottingham Forest both picked up points over the weekend. And Carragher can't see De Zerbi, who's been appointed on a five-year deal, turning things around.

"Normally, a new manager comes in and you say, 'It's his first game, that (their style of play) has to go out the window'," Carragher began on Sky Sports. "It had to go out the window for Igor Tudor and it's the same for Roberto de Zerbi because of where they find themselves.

"I can't believe it. Tottenham look like they're going to go down. The other teams have something going for them. One point in 24 You look at fixtures, you think that's a good game for Tottenham but they're awful.

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Harry Kane to build £20m mansion in major hint at Bayern Munich futureREAD MORE : Cristian Romero leaves pitch in tears as Sunderland vs Tottenham halted for eight minutes

"Do you think Tottenham will go to Wolves, bottom of the league, and win? No chance."

His stinging verdict laid bare Spurs' task to avoid a first relegation since 1977. De Zerbi's side will play Brighton, Leeds and Everton at home and travel to Wolves, Aston Villa and Chelsea before the end of the season.

Tottenham were plunged into the bottom three on Friday after West Ham beat Wolves 4-0. Forest also took a step closer to safety by drawing 1-1 at home to Villa, keeping them above West Ham in 16th place.

Will Tottenham get relegated? Give us your prediction in the comments section.

Assessing the loss, De Zerbi said: "I think we played a good game, not enough to win but we didn't deserve to lose. We have to accept and move on.

"We played a good game. We have enough quality to come out from this difficult moment. I'm sorry for the result, I'm sorry for the [Cristian] Romero injury and I hope for us and for him that it is not important. We had three or four clear chances to score.

"We can be better, especially to find the play between the lines. We made two or three mistakes in the last 15 metres and we have to move on into the next game. I spoke with the players five minutes ago and I said that I understand it has been a very tough season. It is a tough moment for everyone and we have to react with the right spirit. The quality of the players are amazing."

Tottenham plunged deeper into relegation mire on nightmare Roberto De Zerbi start - 5 talking points

SUNDERLAND 1-0 TOTTENHAM: Roberto De Zerbi's first game in charge of Spurs ended in defeat, as a deflected strike from Nordi Mukiele separated the sides at the Stadium of Light

New manager, same result. Roberto De Zerbi failed to stop the rot as feeble Tottenham fell to a 1-0 defeat away to Sunderland, leaving them two points from safety.

Nordi Mukiele's deflected goal made the difference and condemned Spurs to their 17th loss of the season. De Zerbi has been tasked with keeping Tottenham up after they parted ways with Igor Tudor after only five Premier League games, all of which they failed to win.

Sunday's visit to the North east became even bigger after West Ham thrashed Wolves 4-0 and sent Spurs into the relegation zone for the first time this season. Tottenham fans' eyes were also on events at the City Ground, with relegation rivals Nottingham Forest in action against Aston Villa.

Here are five talking points from the Stadium of Light.

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After spending the first 20 minutes under the cosh, Tottenham were given a penalty against the run of play when Randal Kolo Muani went bundling over inside the Sunderland box. Referee Rob Jones had pointed to the spot but was soon sent to the pitch-side VAR monitor.

Replays showed that Kolo Muani had gone down without sufficient contact from Omar Alderete before Luke O'Nien went sliding in while the Spurs striker was already on his way down. Jones quickly reversed his decision and Tottenham couldn't have too many complaints.

Picking up from where he left off against Newcastle before the international break, Brian Brobbey was a pain the neck of Tottenham's defence all afternoon. By half-time, three of Spurs' four-man back line had been shown a yellow card, with Brobbey the source of all of them.

First, Cristian Romero brought him down with a late challenge before Micky van de Ven tripped his Dutch compatriot 10 minutes later, giving away a free-kick which Pedro Porro didn't agree with, so he was booked as well. Brobbey also came closest to opening the scoring, but he missed a good chance with his head early on before being denied by the recalled Antonin Kinsky on the brink of half-time.

With De Zerbi preparing to make a triple change on the hour mark, Sunderland broke the deadlock in fortuitous circumstances. Mukiele made a driving run from right-back and cut inside of Conor Gallagher to find himself in acres of space.

The Frenchman let fly with his weaker left foot and a deflection off the desperate Van de Ven saw the ball loop into the back of the net, with Kinsky having already gone to the other side. De Zerbi still went ahead and made his changes, with Tottenham facing 30 minutes to find a response.

Minutes after the goal, Romero was involved in a nasty collision with his own goalkeeper. It was brought on by a nudge from Brobbey, who the Tottenham skipper had got in front of as Sunderland threatened to double their lead.

Romero looked to have suffered a dead leg after colliding with Kinky's head, leaving the Spurs 'keeper bloodied and needing strapped up Terry Butcher style. On came Kevin Danso to replace his captain after an eight-minute delay.

Will Tottenham stay up? Give us your prediction in the comments section.

If a defeat wasn't bad enough for Tottenham, Forest picked up a handy point at home to Villa. Vitor Pereira's side went 1-0 down but responded before the break, as Neco Williams buried in an equaliser from range.

Forest held on for a draw, much thanks to Morgan Rogers' shocking miss, and are now three points above Spurs in 16th place. A deserved word on Sunderland, too, after back-to-back victories took them into the top half. Remarkable from the Black Cats.

Sunderland's Premier League match with Tottenham Hotspur came to a lengthy halt on Sunday, when Antonin Kinsky and Cristian Romero collided with one another at pace

Cristian Romero left the Stadium of Light pitch in tears on Sunday following a harrowing collision with Antonin Kinsky, which paused play for eight minutes. The injury blow will come as a huge concern for struggling Spurs as their relegation fears deepened after a 1-0 defeat.

After a tightly contested first-half, the Black Cats took the lead just over 15 minutes into the second - Nordi Mukiele charging towards the Lilywhites' area at pace before unleashing from the edge of the box with venom. The Frenchman's shot took a hefty deflection, wrong-footing Kinsky in the process and trickling into the back of the net.

Already a goal down, matters went from bad to worse just a matter of moments later. Brian Brobbey chased down the ball well into Kinsky's box, as Romero looked to shield it from the Sunderland striker.

In the process, however, Romero's knee looked to clash with the head of the Spurs shot-stopper as both fell to the turf, writhing in pain. Medics rushed over to treat both players, Romero lying face down while Kinsky was on his back, with play put on pause for around eight minutes.

Kinsky required heavy bandaging to his head as a result of a cut he sustained from the clash, although he was fine to continue, which was a silver lining for Roberto De Zerbi, considering Tottenham are already without Guglielmo Vicario as a result of hernia surgery.

While Brandon Austin made the trip to the northeast as a backup to Kinsky, his services were ultimately not needed. It was a different state of affairs altogether for Romero, however.

The Argentine was spotted teary-eyed as he hobbled off the hallowed turf of the Stadium of Light, replaced by Kevin Danso. Several Spurs players consoled him as the emotional defender trudged off the pitch.

The injury will give Roberto De Zerbi more of a headache as he struggles with squad selection amid an ever-growing injury crisis.

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On top of Vicario facing a brief stint on the sidelines after his surgery, the club are currently without Wilson Odobert, Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison, Rodrigo Bentancur, Ben Davies and Mohammed Kudus.

It comes as De Zerbi will be fully aware of the challenge he faces with just six matches remaining after Sunday's 1-0 loss to Sunderland.

The Italian signed a long-term contract with the club last month as a replacement for Igor Tudor, who left the club by mutual consent just 44 days after taking the reins from a sacked Thomas Frank.

At the time of writing, the Lilywhites sit 18th in the Premier League standings and two points from safety, leapfrogged by West Ham United on Friday as a result of their 4-0 win over Wolves.

Up next for Spurs is a home clash with De Zerbi's former club , Brighton, on Saturday, April 18, before their own trip to Molineux a week later.

'I joined Sunderland after not playing for Tottenham - now I'm out to ruin De Zerbi debut'

Tottenham boss Roberto De Zerbi will encounter a former player of his new club during his first game in charge against Sunderland

Dennis Cirkin will be aiming to spoil Roberto De Zerbi's first match in the Tottenham dugout when they face Sunderland in the Premier League on Sunday. The ex-Spurs academy prospect departed for the Stadium of Light in 2021 without featuring for the senior side at his boyhood club.

The 24-year-old was included in two Europa League matchday squads by Jose Mourinho in late 2020 but never entered the action. Cirkin was considered a promising talent within the academy and amongst Tottenham supporters, yet injury problems and the arrival of Sergio Reguilon denied him any playing time.

He subsequently joined the Black Cats before the 2021/22 campaign and played a crucial role in their ascent from League One. He sustained multiple injuries during the next season but still featured 28 times in the Championship.

Persistent muscular problems, one requiring an operation, meant Cirkin was absent for most of the 2023/24 campaign, though he returned emphatically the subsequent year as Sunderland secured Premier League promotion in thrilling circumstances at Wembley.

OPINION

His displays and Spurs' shortage of club-trained players for their Champions League comeback sparked speculation about bringing Cirkin back to north London.

West Ham United's Kyle Walker-Peters was another former academy talent linked with a return, yet neither deal came to fruition, with the buyback clause for Cirkin having expired last summer. Spurs did insert a sell-on clause into the transfer, but he stayed put at Sunderland.

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A mass squad overhaul has left Cirkin with precious little game time at the top level of English football, though he'll be hoping to make an impact against his former side this weekend.

He strung together five successive Premier League starts in January, including 59 minutes against his old club during a period when several Sunderland players were away at AFCON, yet he has managed just five minutes of action since early February.

A minor injury setback played its part in that, though he has since returned to fitness and was named among the unused substitutes for the landmark Tyne-Wear Derby victory over Newcastle United before the international break, having also come off the bench against Brighton.

Cirkin has had precious few chances to demonstrate his abilities, making it all the more significant if he does get on the pitch against his former employers this weekend.

For De Zerbi, it represents a crucial opening match as Spurs boss as the club battles to preserve their Premier League status. The Italian has had at least a fortnight to get to grips with portions of his squad, but the anticipated injury returns ahead of the trip north appear unlikely to materialise despite the extended break.

Roberto De Zerbi has already made his mark on Tottenham Hotspur's training sessions after ten days working with the Spurs squad before his first match in charge

Roberto De Zerbi has reportedly overhauled training at Tottenham, with sessions now looking markedly different to those under his predecessors, Igor Tudor and Thomas Frank. Spurs have spent ten days working alongside their new head coach ahead of their Premier League clash away at Sunderland.

Despite there being three weeks between their last two fixtures owing to their exits in the Champions League and FA Cup, the Italian has refrained from scheduling double sessions during this period, restricting players to just one per day.

De Zerbi is said to have taken this approach to minimise the risk of injury. Mohammed Kudus, however, has since suffered a setback.

Spurs confirmed in an injury update on Thursday that "he had returned to team training during the past week, however, will now require further specialist review and, potentially, surgery."

The Daily Mail reports that De Zerbi has also extended training sessions beyond what they were under Tudor and Frank, with ball work being a constant throughout. The report further suggests that the new manager has taken an instant liking to six players, among them Kudus, whom he attempted to bring to Marseille when he was in charge at the French side.

Speaking about the Ghana international, he said: "I started not with too big luck, but yes, Kudus was in my head a crucial player, especially for the position, but we have to look forward anyway."

The other five players he highlighted were Cristian Romero, Mathys Tel, Micky van de Ven, Randal Kolo Muani and Richarlison. The Italian added: "I think we have a lot of very good attackers, and we have to help them, to put them in the best condition to show their qualities.

"Because Kolo Muani, I know he's not playing a great season, but he's a good player. I know him, like Mathys Tel. I wanted him in Marseille when I was in Marseille. Xavi Simons is a big talent. Richarlison, [Dominic] Solanke, you know maybe better than me. We have to put them in the best condition we can."

Regarding the squad as a whole, De Zerbi said: "In the last period, I watched a lot of games, especially of Tottenham. Yes, one thing is to watch the game at home, and a different thing is to work with them on the pitch.

"We have very big players, young players, [Lucas] Bergvall, Archie Gray, Mathys Tel, Xavi Simons. We have older players that are very important. Van de Ven is a crucial player for me, like Romero, like [Pedro] Porro, like Solanke. I want to see again the same [Conor] Gallagher I loved at Chelsea.

"I think I'm lucky because I have a big confidence in my players, in their qualities. My target is to help them to play well, to enjoy with the ball, because their characteristics are very clear for me."

The immediate priority on the pitch is to climb out of the relegation zone, after West Ham United's victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Friday evening dragged Spurs into the bottom three. Nothing less than three points at the Stadium of Light will suffice, with West Ham now sitting two points clear of Tottenham, having played a game more.

Roberto De Zerbi begins his reign at Tottenham this weekend and has already been dealt an injury blow, making his task to keep Spurs in the Premier League even more challenging

Tottenham star Mohammed Kudus could require surgery after suffering a setback on his return from injury. Kudus, 25, has been out since January after injuring his quad during Spurs' 1-1 draw at home to Sunderland.

The Ghana international returned to training last week under new manager Roberto De Zerbi, who'll take charge of his first game this Sunday. But like seven of his team-mates, Kudus won't be involved after Tottenham confirmed that he's back on the sidelines.

Spurs said in a statement on Thursday: "We can confirm that Mohammed Kudus has suffered a setback in his return from injury. The Ghana international forward suffered a significant quad injury during our Premier League fixture against Sunderland in January.

"He had returned to team training during the past week, however will now require further specialist review and, potentially, surgery. We will provide any relevant further updates in due course."

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Kudus will be desperate to avoid a long layoff, both to help Tottenham in their fight to avoid relegation and represent Ghana at this summer's World Cup. His country have been placed in Group L alongside England, Croatia and Panama.

Back in North London, De Zerbi has been given a five-year contract and an immediate goal: to stay up. After Igor Tudor's nightmare seven-game spell, Spurs are 17th in the table, just one point and place above the relegation zone.

"I'm here now at the end of the season because we have to win the games," De Zerbi told club media. "In football, the style of play, the tactical disposition are important.

Will Roberto De Zerbi keep Tottenham up? Give us your prediction in the comments section.

"There is a mentality and I would like to help the players to reach the best mentality we can show. I signed five years of contract because, for me, it's a big challenge and I will be the coach of Tottenham next season, no matter what."

The former Brighton boss added: "In this moment, we have no time to work too much on more principles, but we have to know what we have to do on the pitch. We have to have a good organisation, with the ball, without the ball. We have to consider the qualities of the players."

Sean Dyche spells out Tottenham truth after manager links - 'What would I gain?'

Tottenham needed to act fast to find a new manager recently and have handed Roberto De Zerbi a hefty deal - but Sean Dyche maintains he would never have taken the role

Sean Dyche insists that no amount of money could've made him take the Tottenham job - although he admits he was never contacted about the vacancy.

The former Burnley and Nottingham Forest boss is out of a job having been axed at the City Ground earlier this season. The north Londoners moved on from Igor Tudor last month with the team facing a genuine threat of relegation and needing a new manager.

They moved quick to land Roberto De Zerbi, handing him a staggering five-year deal and making him one of the Premier League's highest paid managers. Dyche would not have accepted had the phone rang however, maintaining that no figure would've changed his mind.

The 53-year-old was reportedly on the club's radar given his impressive track record at keeping clubs in the top flight, but wouldn't have let finances drive his decision as he felt there was little to gain from taking charge of Tottenham.

He told talkSport: "They could offer me a massive amount of money, I’m sure they’re capable of it and allegedly they’ve offered [Roberto] De Zerbi a massive amount of money.

"It would have been about what are you [Spurs] going to help me gain as a human being. What would I gain? Let's say you go in there and get the job done [not get relegated], then next season if you’re not in the top four and the football’s not what they want, then you're rubbish and they want you out.

"So you’re not going to gain a lot there, are you? And that’s if you get the job done, because it’s not easy. If you don’t get the job done, then somehow it’s on my neck that I took Tottenham down."

Tottenham have been ever presents in the Premier League, but have endured a steep decline this season and are without a league win throughout 2026. Their most recent loss at the hands of Nottingham Forest, who left the capital as 3-0 winners, sounded major alarm bells.

The club's hierarchy had already sacked Thomas Frank and bought in Tudor, but he picked up just one point during his tenure, prompting them to make another change. De Zerbi's first game in charge will see him takes his Tottenham side to Sunderland.