STALEMATE: Tottenham Hotspur’s Luka Modric (second left) attempts a shot at the goal as Sunderland’s Nicklas Bendtner (right) jumps to block him during their match at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland, England. — Reuters photo
LONDON: Tottenham Hotspur moved into third place in the Premier League, a point in front of north London rivals Arsenal, following a goalless draw away to Sunderland yesterday.
The closest either side came to a goal was in the 73rd minute when Spurs midfielder Rafael van der Vaart had a shot cleared off the line. But the Gunners can regain third place against Manchester City today.
Only the top three teams in the table at the end of the season qualify automatically for the Champions League.
Frustrated Tottenham captain Scott Parker told Sky Sports: “It was a quite a slow game, we dominated possession in both halves. Sunderland set up to get men behind the ball.
“We were a bit surprised at how they set up. We expected them to come at us a bit more but we will take a draw and move on.”
“It gets to that point of the season, where we have to concentrate on what we do,” said Parker of the increasingly tight race for Champions League football. — AFP