Tottenham Hotspur leapfrog Chelsea with first win of the season

London: Ryan Mason scored a late winner and was then carried off on a stretcher as Tottenham Hotspur beat Sunderland 1-0 to take their first Premier League victory of the season on Sunday.

The win lifted Spurs to 12th in the table and dropped champions Chelsea, beaten 3-1 at Everton on Saturday, down to 17th and in danger of falling into the bottom three when Newcastle United play at West Ham United on Monday.

Mason`s 82nd-minute dinked goal, with Erik Lamela splitting the defence after combining with Harry Kane, broke the deadlock and provided a rare burst of brilliance in an otherwise uninspired encounter at the Stadium of Light.

The midfielder was then carried off injured after colliding with Sunderland goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon.

Manager Mauricio Pochettino said the player`s condition would be assessed on Monday.

"It was a big knock on the knee. It was a great goal and we showed how we try to play," he said.

Sunderland, still searching for their first win after five games this season and now with 11 goals conceded, dropped to the bottom of the table and behind Stoke City on goal difference.

South Korean Son Heung-min, who joined from Bayer Leverkusen in August and scored a hat-trick for his country during the international break, made his Spurs debut but missed a good first half chance and was taken off after 62 minutes.

Even if Son did not shine as brightly as some had expected, Pochettino sounded pleased with the new signing`s performance: "I am very happy with Son, he played really well. He is a good player for us."

England striker Kane, still to get off the mark for his club this season, squandered a chance in the 67th minute when he failed to connect with a Mason cross with the goal begging.

Sunderland, with former Spurs striker Jermain Defoe hitting the post in the 26th minute with only Hugo Lloris to beat, had the better of a first half that saw Tottenham fail to get a shot on target.

Jack Rodwell might have grabbed a late equaliser but his shot smacked against the crossbar.

"We had the better chances at the start, we knew we were playing against a good side and the speed of the game was unbelievable. Some players could not handle it in the end," Sunderland manager Dick Advocaat told the BBC.

"At the end of the game, the better side had more luck than we had. Some players still need match fitness."

Sunday`s later kickoff features Leicester City at home to Aston Villa.