Mark Lawrenson casts doubt on Tottenham’s title chances, predicts result against Sunderland

Sunderland Sam Allardyce is biding his time over the Black Catscurrent goalkeeping situation ahead of their clash with Tottenham Hotspur. “I was a little bit nervous for him because one mistake and it’s his fault and you wonder how it’ll affect him, but he didn’t do that”.

The Black Cats face Spurs on Saturday back in touch with safety, having claimed two league wins in a row.

That will mean players can only go out on loan in the summer or in January, which Allardyce argued would make it far harder for clubs, especially in League One and Two, to use the loan market because of the extra cost.

Mauricio Pochettino’s team were beaten 0-1 at home by Leicester on Wednesday to go winless through their last three matches in all competitions (D2) and it is notable that they have drawn two and lost two of their last six home matches.

“For me, it is the toughest league in the world – it is very open”.

Sam Allardyce described Sunderland’s midweek win against Swansea as an “enormous, enormous, enormous” three points, and even that might be an understatement.

Asked if it was refreshing to see a foreign coach developing English players, he said: ‘It’s only because Tottenham have recruited so many good English players, isn’t it? (But) you need to be careful with all the opponents. “It’s not new for us”, Pochettino said.

“I saw the same game last season and on that day we won the three points [a 2-1 win] so hopefully it will be the same scenario”. “I have heard a lot of people asking ‘why can’t Spurs win the league?’ in the past couple of weeks, but they draw too many games for that – they have drawn as many as they have won”. Mauricio Pochettino might actually prefer to lose again against Leicester if only to avoid the added commitment of additional FA Cup games. “Jermaine Defoe will look to keep his run going”.

“We are a good team if we stay organised and hopefully we’ll get another result”.

“When you think about what Leicester have achieved and what they have achieved this week against Spurs, I don’t think you can write them off either”.

Spurs welcomed back Mousa Dembele from injury against the Foxes, while Alex Pritchard and Ryan Mason are nearing full fitness, leaving Clinton Njie as the club’s only long-term absentee.