Tottenham Hotspur 1 Sunderland 0: Redknapp reluctant to allow ‘real talent’ Pavlyuchenko to leave Spurs

Tottenham failed to test Sunderland goalkeeper Keiren Westwood in a dull first half, but they sprung to life just after the hour when substitute Pavlyuchenko latched on to Rafael van der Vaart’s reverse pass and fired home a powerful low drive.

It was an exquisite finish from the 30-year-old, but he would not have even been on the pitch had it not been for the suspected hamstring tear which caused former Leeds United winger Aaron Lennon to be taken off in the first half.

Indeed, the striker may not have been in Spurs’ matchday squad had Jermain Defoe not been ruled out prior to kick-off, also with a hamstring problem.

Pavlyuchenko has voiced his desire to leave White Hart Lane on a number of occasions this season after the arrival of Emmanuel Adebayor and the form of van der Vaart saw him drop down the pecking order at the North London club.

Redknapp admits he may struggle to keep Pavlyuchenko happy, but insists he will try to hang on to the Russian if he can.

“He’s a fantastic player. He’s got real talent. He’s got great ability, I think. He’s got a good left foot, a good right foot and is a great finisher,” Redknapp said.

“He’s top drawer but he’s just been unlucky. He didn’t start the season great. He hasn’t really shown the form that he’s capable of so he’s slipped down the pecking order a bit.

“It’s difficult. Some people are going to be upset they’re not in the team.

“(Yesterday) I lost a wide man but I thought I’d change it and if you want someone to score he’s always likely to. I want to keep all four (strikers). You need them all.”

Tottenham looked out of sorts in the opening half and rarely played the kind of football that had seen them go on an 11-match unbeaten run recently.

They missed the presence of Gareth Bale, who was absent with a foot injury, and Lennon’s withdrawal deprived the Londoners of the usual pace and penetration down the flanks.

Sunderland are now within one point of the relegation zone after the defeat which was harsh on the Wearsiders.

Manager Martin O’Neill said: “I didn’t think any player wearing a Sunderland shirt downed tools.

“I saw an effort. It was a little bit misguided at times, but these are the things we have to rectify.”