A Christian Eriksen masterclass saw Tottenham come from a goal behind to win 5-1 against relegation bound Sunderland.

The Danish midfielder scored and set up Emmanuel Adebayor and Harry Kane, who slotted his first Premier League goal, as Spurs moved above Manchester United into sixth.

The away side took the lead following a calamitous error from Vlad Chiriches who picked out Lee Cattermole who slotted the ball into the unguarded net.

Adebayor then latched onto an Eriksen cross to equalise before Harry Kane did the same thing just before the hour.

The 22-year-old capped off his fine performance with a goal when his deflected shot found the back of the net.

Adebayor bagged a second when Harry Kane’s shot squirmed under keeper Vito Mannone giving the Togolese striker an easy tap in.

Gylfi Sigurdsson rounded off the rout with a goal in stoppage time to take Spurs’ goal difference out of the negative.

Spurs boss Tim Sherwood returned to the touchline from the stands following rumours surrounding about his future beyond the end of the season.

Despite Tottenham’s early possession it was Sunderland who fashioned the first real opportunity when Wes Brown headed Adam Johnson’s cross narrowly wide.

Four minutes later Sunderland had the lead. The visitors pressed a lazy throw in back to Lloris who gave the ball to Chiriches.

Instead of clearing up the pitch, the centre back laid the ball across the pitch to midfielder Cattermole who showed composure to slot the ball into the far corner beyond the scrambling Lloris.

Spurs responded with pace and urgency, everything they hadn’t shown in the early stages.
Nacer Chadli’s sliced effort fell to Harry Kane seven yards from goal but his shot was straight at Vito Mannone.

Soon after the home side equalised with an exquisite cross from Eriksen on the left hand side that picked out Adebayor who let the ball hit his midriff and loop into the goal.

Spurs pressed on and almost had the lead before half time when the mercurial Eriksen nearly found Adebayor from the right hand side but Phil Bardsley made the interception.

The Danish midfielder was at the heart of Spurs’ creativity which most of the home side’s play coming through him.

Sunderland started the brighter in the second half but Spurs will feel they could have had a penalty.

Harry Kane danced into the box before being sandwiched by Carlos Cuellar and Bardsley but referee Lee Mason only gave the corner.

From then on Spurs seized the initiative and there was only one winner. Aaron Lennon drove down the right-hand side before delivering a whipped delivery which was well cleared by Bardsley.

The pressure told just before the hour mark when Eriksen’s right footed cross set up Harry Kane to tap home his first Premier League goal of the season.

Eriksen then got on the score sheet after  77 minutes when he was found by Chadli just inside the box and hit deflected shot found the right-hand corner.

The home team added a fourth in the 86th minute when the tireless Harry Kane made the most of Sunderland’s inept backline.

His shot wriggled under the body of Mannone giving Adebayor at tap in for his second.

Mannone’s misery was compounded when he flapped at a cross which gave Kaboul the chance to play in substitiute Gylfi Sigurdsson to plant the ball into the back of the net.