Something does not quite add up. How can a Tottenham Hotspur squad containing, among richly gifted others, Luka Modric, Gareth Bale and Emmanuel Adebayor have won one of their past seven Premier League games?

It represents an Easter mystery which Harry Redknapp is struggling to get to the bottom of. Sunderland's spirited, tactically astute resistance left Tottenham's manager in shoulder-shrugging mode with Martin O'Neill's decision to play on the break being cited as responsible for two more dropped points.

Redknapp seemed affronted by this strategy and moaned about Sunderland "being set up like an away team". Admittedly O'Neill has reinvented his side in a counterattacking mould but the England manager-in-waiting protested too much.

For a start, Sunderland were not quite as defensive as suggested. Indeed Stéphane Sessègnon was probably the most dangerous forward on view, while Redknapp also felt it necessary to double mark James McClean, O'Neill's left-winger, with Sandro helping Kyle Walker out in subduing the still impressive Irishman.

Across the pitch Phil Bardsley excelled against Bale, his performance perhaps helping explain why, bar one earlier routine stop from Modric, Simon Mignolet was not required to make a noteworthy save all afternoon.

Considering that Redknapp's starting XI would quite possibly be valued at around £120m and Sunderland's at less than £25m this lack of goal threat represented quite an indictment. While even the very best teams can hit metaphorical "walls", Tottenham's manager seemed worryingly bereft of a Plan B. Apart from, at one stage, switching Bale to the right – where he found Jack Colback a tough proposition – Redknapp did not attempt to confound Sunderland by changing tactics. When Sandro, Adebayor and Rafael van der Vaart eventually made way for Aaron Lennon, Louis Saha and Jermain Defoe it felt far too late.

Granted, the excellent Michael Turner and his central defensive partner Matthew Kilgallon had earlier both made vital clearances to deny Van der Vaart but Walker had done likewise to deprive McClean a near certain goal. Bale, meanwhile, headed his one chance on to the roof of the net before, finally, bursting through at the end only to be halted by Craig Gardner.

Redknapp talked about Gardner and Lee Cattermole "putting a shift in" but he must have been disappointed that Cattermole – despite a "very sore knee" – could so disrupt Tottenham's attacks. "I'm told Tottenham feel a bit frustrated but we're terribly frustrated by them doubling up on James," said O'Neill.

The sense that no real love was lost between the managers seemed heightened when Redknapp sidestepped repeated invitations to praise O'Neill's work. "Steve [Bruce, the Northern Irishman's predecessor] is a friend of mine," he said. "Martin's doing great but they were a good side under Steve last year."

In reality Bruce's Sunderland would almost certainly have lost here. Now though Spurs have joined Arsenal in a four-way fight with Chelsea and Newcastle for two Champions League spots.

Sunderland fans should wish Redknapp every success. The alternative could potentially prompt cold feet among a Football Association hierarchy who may yet wonder whether the answer to their problems may be found on Wearside.

Man of the match Matthew Kilgallon (Sunderland)