Sunderland boss Dick Advocaat has put his side's defeat to Tottenham Hotspur down to a lack of luck.

The Black Cats, still without a win this term, fell to a 1-0 reverse at the Stadium of Light on Sunday afternoon.

Advocaat admits that the frantic pace of the contest caught him by surprise, while ruing the lack of quality needed up top.

"We had the better chances at the start, we knew we were playing against the a good side and the speed of the game was unbelievable," he told Sky Sports News. "Some players could not handle it in the end. We had to score a goal but it was not to be.

"At the end of the game, the better side had more luck than we had. Some players still need match fitness. Everyone did well but upfront we could not score that chance we got."

Sunderland have now failed to beat Spurs in each of their last 11 meetings.