Mauricio Pochettino is happy to assume the role of father figure to his “naughty” Tottenham side who continue to come of age as the title race approaches its final examination.

Swansea 2 Sunderland 4: Jermain Defoe struck a hat-trick as Sunderland won a thrilling Premier League relegation battle at Swansea.

Vardy has recovered from a minor groin surgery in time for tonight's big game.

Sunderland 0 Southampton 1<br>

Sunderland 2 West Ham 2: Former Sunderland defender Sam Allardyce, who has been taking a break since leaving his post at West Ham at the end of last season, is the early favourite to take over from Dick Advocaat, who left his job as head coach yesterday just four months after being persuaded to delay his retirement plans for a year.

Man Utd 3 Sunderland 0: As a proven winner of league championships across Europe, Louis van Gaal knows what it takes to stay the course and finish on top.

Sunderland 0 Tottenham 1: Tottenham Hotspur finally won their first match of the Premier League season at the fifth attempt, but Harry Kane is still waiting for his first goal of the campaign.

Aston Villa 2 Sunderland 2: A moment of frustration left Tim Sherwood with a hamstring injury – but the Aston Villa boss was delighted with his team’s performance despite having to settle for a draw against Sunderland.

Sunderland 1 Swansea City 1: Sunderland skipper John O’Shea has urged his team-mates to use their first point of the season as a springboard to ease themselves up the Barclays Premier League.

First there was the Great Escape, then last season an almost equally implausible sequel.

WORLD CUP GROUP B:

Robin van Persie today pulled out of Dutch squad to face Germany on Wednesday due to a thigh injury.

RANGERS crashed out of the Europa League in disappointing style after failing to recover from the loss of an early goal against PSV Eindhoven at Ibrox last night.

Ukraine 1 Holland 1

Arsenal youngster Kieran Gibbs has been given his chance to impress at left-back in the Champions League clash against AZ Alkmaar tonight following Gael Clichy’s back injury.

Andre Ooijer’s agent Sigi Lens claims a deal has been struck which will see the Blackburn defender rejoin PSV Eindhoven in the summer.

Newcastle 4 AZ Alkmaar 2

Glenn Roeder has selected Republic of Ireland winger Damien Duff on the left wing after recovering from a virus as he looked to take a step towards the UEFA Cup semi-finals today.

AGUSTIN PICHOT squirms slightly at the question. It’s only Monday evening in the Crown Plaza Hotel in Coogee Beach, Sydney, but perhaps he is already realising that, with six days to go before Argentina’s clash with Ireland, it’s a topic he is going to have to deal with far too many times for his liking.

THOSE of us who believed we could read Eddie O’Sullivan’s mind were given a rude awakening yesterday when he named his side to take on Argentina in the most crucial match of all in Pool A of the World Cup at the Adelaide Oval next Sunday.

Champions League latest (kick-off 7.45pm):