Tottenham Hotspur 4-1 Sunderland - Barclays Premier League as it happened

Full time: Tottenham 4-1 Sunderland

From that corner Tottenham swarm forward on the counter again and its four on one with John O'Shea the only man back. Like in the first half, they make a meal out of the move, with Alli losing a shoulder-to-shoulder challenge with van Aanholt who can clear.

Watmore has done his best to keep his side going after coming off the bench. Just inside the box he jinks past Alderweireld and tees one up for Billy Jones whose low drive deflects wide for a corner.

Two minutes of normal time left at White Hart Lane. Tottenham have made their final change with Kane coming off to a standing ovation to be replaced by Son Heung-Min.

Tottenham are coming forward at will now, Sunderland look like they are playing with 10 men. It's been an utter capitulation from them since Kirchhoff came on, he's looked completely off the pace.

Jan Kirchhoff is enduring probably the worst debut in the history of the Premier League. His latest offence sees him clatter into the back of Rose and the referee has no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Kane steps up and confidently sweeps the resulting penalty into the bottom right corner.

Goal! Tottenham 4-1 Sunderland (Harry Kane, 79)

PENALTY - Tottenham

A change for both sides here as Josh Onomah comes onto replace Lamela while Duncan Watmore is on for Lens.

You do feel a bit for 21-year-old Jordan Pickford. On his full Premier League debut he has made some fine saves but has been let down by the defence in front of him.

Jan Kirchhoff by the way came onto replace Danny Graham as Allardyce went with three at the back to hold onto the draw. It's backfired a tad.

Tottenham may have just sealed this. Sam Allardyce's decision to bring on Jan Kirchhoff isn't looking to clever at the moment; 55 seconds after he came on Tottenham scored their second. Now he is at fault for the third. Eriksen bears down on goal completely unchallenged with Kirchhoff standing off him. The Dane eventually takes a shot that takes a wicked deflected off the German, lifting it over Pickford and into the back of the net.

Goal! Tottenham 3-1 Sunderland (Christian Eriksen, 66)

Tottenham have the lead for the first time in this game! Danny Rose's effort is well blocked by Pickford but Dembele picks up the rebound. From just inside the area, he easily cuts inside past his marker and drives a low effort into the bottom corner. A fine finish, but that was awful defending from the away side.

Goal! Tottenham 2-1 Sunderland (Mousa Dembele 59)

Now Spurs come close to a second as Erik Lamela's chipped cross is met by Alli, but he directs his header just wide of the far post. Sunderland meanwhile have made a change with Jack Rodwell coming on for the booked Cattermole.

Tottenham try a short corner but make a right mess of it and Sunderland spring forward, with Defoe and Johnson the furthest men forward! The former Spurs striker receives the ball inside the penalty area but can only fire into the side netting. What a chance for the away side.

Danny Graham is penalised for a foul on Trippier out on the right. Free kick for Spurs.

Defoe threatens to breach the Spurs backline but his stopped in his tracks by a terrific sliding challenge from Alderweireld. The former Spurs striker was all alone as he drove forward.

Eriksen clips in a delicious cross from the right that Kane tries to meet with a run across the box but O'Shea gets their just ahead of him to clear for a corner, which Wes Brown nuts clear.

A minute into the second half and Lee Cattermole has picked up the first yellow card of the game.

And we are back underway at White Hart Lane.

HALF TIME: Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 Sunderland

It's a manic end to this first half. Eriksen receives the ball on the edge of the box and curls a wicked effort on goal but Pickford produces another fine save to push it away.

Now Sunderland have a free kick right on the edge of the penalty area, but we are denied a third goal in three minutes as Johnson drives one straight into Lloris' arms.

Tottenham pull one back immediately! Pickford initially rushes out to block Kane's effort but the ball breaks to Eriksen who bounces a shot towards goal. Cattermole is back on the line but he makes a right mess of his attempted clearance and Eriksen's effort bounces off him and into the roof of the net.

Goal! Tottenham 1-1 Sunderland (Christian Eriksen, 41)

Sunderland have snatched the lead! Kevin Trippier falls asleep at right back as Adam Johnson threads a lovely pass down the inside left for van Aanholt. Lloris goes to ground early and the former Chelsea youngster produces a cool finish to give his side the lead.

Goal! Tottenham 0-1 Sunderland (Patrick van Aanholt, 40)

Oh Spurs. Sunderland lose the ball on the edge of the opposition area and the home side swarm forward on the counter. It's five on two as Kane, Lamela, Eriksen and Dembele sprint for the penalty area with Alli opting to thread a pass down the inside left for the latter. The Belgian drags a shot/cross across the face of goal but none of his teammates can stretch far enough to get on the end of it and the chance is gone.

Kane leaps with O'Shea to try and get his noggin onto Eriksen's floating cross from the right but the Irishman just about gets their first to clear for a corner. The Dane swings it in but Sunderland clear their lines again.

Harry Kane works a shot for himself wonderfully inside the box, shifting inside to leave Wes Brown on his backside, but Van Aanholt sticks out a foot to block his shot on goal.

Alli is down just inside the penalty area after a challenge from O'Shea. Was that a penalty? Alli wants one, but the referee isn't interested.

Rose tries his luck from about 25 yards out but lashes wild effort comfortably over the bar.

Sunderland have a rare opportunity to venture forward as Lens finds a bit of space down the left. Defoe, chasing more goals after his hat-trick midweek, makes a clever run to the near post but Lens misreads it and launches one towards the back post, where absolutely no one is waiting. Another poor decision from the Dutchman.

Eriksen clips one into the box that falls to Dembele on the edge of the area, but his half volley is charged down by Cattermole. Spurs retain possession but Sunderland reorganise their backline quickly and Trippier's eventual cross back into the box is collected by Pickford.

Spurs win a free kick about 30 yards out from goal as Kane is held by John O'Shea who was clinging onto the striker after being easily turned by him.

More neat play from Spurs as Dembele shifts a ball wide to Eriksen who tries to slide one across the face of goal with three teammates waiting but Sunderland hack clear.

Tottenham are stroking the ball around comfortably at the moment but a lapse allows Lens to drive forward menacingly. He has Graham and Defoe either side of him but makes the wrong choice, sliding a pass through for the latter when the run wasn't really on in the first place.

Spurs probe in front of the Sunderland back four, slowly taking control of the game in these early stages.

Alli skies a fantastic chance for Spurs to take the lead! It's not quite a neat lay off from Kane in the box - it cannons off him, really - but it feeds the path into Alli anyway six yards out with the goal at his mercy. All he has to do is keep his shot down but instead he blazes wildly over the bar.

Sunderland win a corner and launch one into a crowded box but Tottenham clear through Alli and Eriksen launches a counter down the left. He tries to sneak a ball through for Kane but Cattermole is across quickly to snuff out the danger.

Five minutes gone at White Hart Lane and Kane tests Pickford in the Sunderland goal for the first time, receiving a layoff from Dembele and curling a low effort on goal that the young goalkeeper just manages to push around the post.

And we are off and underway at White Hart Lane.

Sunderland's huge win over Swansea on Wednesday evening wasn't enough to lift them out of the relegation zone after Newcastle drew with Manchester United, but the Black Cats now just a point off their neighbours in 18th place.

Newcastle host West Ham at St James' Park later this afternoon.

Are Tottenham struggling with their new-found reputation of being perhaps the Premier League's brightest young side? Pochettino's side are hanging onto fourth spot but have won just three times in the league since the end of November.

Mauricio Pochettino earlier this week on facing a Sam Allardyce team.

He has time to improve in the way he wants to play, it was a long time ago that we played at Sunderland.

"All the teams Allardyce has managed are very tough. You need to be careful with all the opponents. We will expect another tough game against Sunderland.

Elsewhere today, Southampton have confirmed the signing of Charlie Austin from Queens Park Rangers.

Tottenham's efforts to define themselves as legitimate Premier League title contenders took a blow on Wednesday in that defeat to Leicester but they still remain just seven points off leaders Arsenal. Can they maintain the pace? Sam Allardyce doesn't think so.

I'm not sure they can hold their nerve. Brendan Rodgers couldn't hold his nerve with Liverpool to win the title a couple of years ago. Just when they needed to be resilient, they [Liverpool] couldn't quite do it.

"And that can be down to that lack of experience which you need in order to win it. Listening to my old mentor, Sir Alex Ferguson, the hardest one to win for your players is always the first one – particularly when they're as young as Tottenham's. It would be nice if they did do it but I think their main aim is to finish in the Champions League," he added.

BREAKING: Jermain Defoe starts against his former club while Fabio Borini drops to the bench.

Sunderland team to face Tottenham: Pickford, Jones, van Aanholt, O'Shea (c), Brown, Johnson, Lens, Cattermole, M'Vila, Defoe, Graham

Subs: Rodwell, Borini, Coates, Fletcher, Kirchhoff, Watmore, Mannone.

BREAKING: Three changes for Tottenham as Kieran Trippier, Danny Rose and Mousa Dembele come into the side.

Tottenham team to face Sunderland: Lloris (c), Trippier, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Rose: Dier, Dembele; Lamela, Eriksen, Alli; Kane

Subs: Vorm, Davies, Wimmer, Carroll, Chadli, Onomah, Son

SUNDERLAND TEAM NEWS - The Black Cats completed the signing of Dame N'Doye but the striker is not in contention today as he waits for a work permit. DeAndre Yedlin, on loan from Spurs, is ineligible to play against his parent club.

TOTTENHAM TEAM NEWS - Mauricio Pochettino has no fresh injury concerns to contend with. Mousa Dembele is in contention to make his full return having come off the bench in the defeat to Leicester on Wednesday. Ryan Mason and Clinton N'Njie remain sidelined.

What looked like a routine win for Tottenham last week now doesn't look quite as straight forward. Former Spurs hero Jermain Defoe breathed life into Sunderland with his hat-trick in the 4-2 win over Swansea midweek, while Tottenham suffered a frustrating defeat at home to Leicester the same night. That defeat was just their third in the league this season.

Sunderland are back in north London for a second week in a row following last week's FA Cup trip to Arsenal, knowing a win today could lift them out of the relegation zone, albeit temporarily with neighbours and fellow strugglers Newcastle in action later this afternoon.

Tottenham meanwhile start the afternoon in fourth with West Ham breathing right down their necks. A win will ensure they remain there, for this weekend anyway.