Eriksen's double leads Tottenham recovery to beat Sunderland

LONDON (AP) — Christian Eriksen inspired Tottenham's recovery against Sunderland on Saturday, scoring twice in a 4-1 victory that consolidated the London club's

LONDON (AP) — Christian Eriksen inspired Tottenham's recovery against Sunderland on Saturday, scoring twice in a 4-1 victory that consolidated the London club's spot in the Champions League qualification places.

Fourth-place Tottenham fell behind five minutes before the interval but Patrick van Aanholt's goal was immediately wiped out by Eriksen scoring 91 seconds later.

Mousa Dembele put Tottenham in front approaching the hour-mark at White Hart Lane and Eriksen's shot then took a big deflection off Jan Kirchhoff to beat goalkeeper Jordan Pickford on his league debut.

Harry Kane netted the fourth from the penalty spot in the 79th minute after Kirchhoff's foul on Danny Rose was punished.

Sunderland is only one place off the bottom of the standings.

Spurs had lost here to a late Leicester goal in midweek but recovered after falling behind as their quest for Champions League football continued.

Kane came close in the opening stages but his low effort was tipped behind by Pickford.

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Dele Alli then blazed wildly over from inside the box as Danny Rose's shot deflected to the England midfielder.

Jeremain Lens was robbed by Dembele on the edge of the Spurs penalty area 10 minutes before the break, with the Belgium international breaking at pace across the halfway line.

With several options he picked out Erik Lamela, whose subsequent shot across goal flew wide of the target as Sunderland's defense labored to get back in time.

But it was the visitors who took the lead before the break as Adam Johnson's neat pass took out the back-tracking Alli and allowed Van Aanholt to finish coolly past Hugo Lloris from close range.

Spurs reacted immediately from the restart as Kane broke through and saw his shot saved by Pickford, only for Eriksen to finish from the rebound as Lee Cattermole somehow failed to clear a tame strike.

The game had certainly come to life and Jermain Defoe tested Lloris with a low shot from a free kick on the edge of the box after Lens had been fouled.

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The former Tottenham striker then came close after the restart as an attempt at a clever set-piece routine from the hosts ended in Sunderland breaking clear, with Defoe firing into the side-netting having been released by Johnson.

Alli headed Lamela's tempting cross wide as both sides started to find more openings in the early stages of the second half, with Pickford again a match for Kane as he struck from outside the box.

Pickford pushed away Rose's shot but could do nothing as Dembele's low strike flashed past him from the rebound.

And he was again helpless as Eriksen grabbed his second of the game seven minutes later, the Dane's long-range effort taking a huge deflection off Kirchhoff, who had only just come off the bench to make his Sunderland debut.

Kane's frustrating afternoon continued as Pickford pushed away yet another effort but he finally got his goal after Kirchhoff's debut to forget continued.

Kirchhoff tripped Rose in the penalty area, with the England striker thrashing home the resulting penalty.