Tottenham’s display at the Gtech Community Stadium drew boos and chants of "boring" from travelling fans, as Frank’s side managed only nine shots and 0.86 expected goals despite facing the coach’s former club, underlining wider worries about Spurs’ attacking output this season.
Across 19 league games under Frank, Tottenham rank fourth-lowest in the division for total expected goals with 18.1, ahead of only Sunderland on 16.3, Wolves on 17.1 and Burnley on 17.6, while Spurs’ 185 shots place them above just those same three teams for attempts.
Frank accepts the criticism but insists the style will evolve, outlining detailed attacking work with his staff and players while stressing that key forwards remain unavailable and limit Tottenham’s current threat in the final third.
He told reporters the group is focusing on decision-making, movement and structure in possession, as Spurs seek to turn low attacking numbers into more productive performances during the second half of the 2025-26 Premier League campaign.
Frank said: "It's not perfect, we want to be a free-flowing team, Frank told reporters on Friday. We are working very hard on the offensive part of the game. I understand the frustration and I share it too. There are a few things we need to improve on and one of those is losing the ball through unforced errors, which happened 25 times [against Brentford]. I showed those 25 clips to the players today. The next thing is getting the right patterns, structure and getting in the right positions. That is my responsibility with the coaches and I take that. The third thing is that we still lack some very important offensive players who have been out for a while, but I am getting sick and tired of naming them. That is where we are right now. Unfortunately, it's very boring but that is the fact; we need to do everything we can to put in an attacking, intense, front-footed performance against Sunderland in two days' time and I will do everything I can to make sure we do that."
Asked whether Tottenham vs Sunderland required a braver approach from the team, Frank insisted that personal courage is not an issue, replying simply: "I am daring; I am sitting here."
Tottenham vs Sunderland momentum, confidence and recent form
Sunderland arrive in north London three points clear of Tottenham after holding Manchester City to a 0-0 draw on Thursday, a result coach Regis Le Bris believes can strengthen belief without allowing any drop in focus before the quick turnaround.
Reflecting on the draw against Pep Guardiola’s side, Le Bris said: "It is really positive for the club, the squad and all the lads, because we were playing against the best in Europe and it shows we can be confident, he said. It is good for our confidence and good for the individuals, but we need to reset quickly because this is relentless."
Despite Sunderland’s higher league position, the Opta supercomputer model still favours Tottenham vs Sunderland going the way of the hosts, projecting a Spurs victory as the most likely outcome at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
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The historical record supports that forecast, with Tottenham unbeaten in 14 consecutive Premier League meetings against Sunderland, winning 10 and drawing four since a 3-1 away loss in April 2010, while also dominating the fixture in north London.
Away from home in the Premier League, Sunderland have lost 14 of 16 games at Spurs, with the only exceptions being a 2-1 victory in August 2008 and a 1-1 draw in November 2010, reinforcing the scale of the task for Le Bris’ side.
Tottenham vs Sunderland also highlights the visitors’ long-running away scoring issues, as the Black Cats have managed only four goals across nine Premier League away matches this season, failing to score in six of those games.
Extending that picture, Sunderland have drawn blanks in 17 of their last 26 top-flight away fixtures on either side of their eight-year absence from the Premier League, underlining why tight margins often define their results on the road.
This will be Le Bris’ first Premier League meeting with Tottenham, and French managers have struggled at this venue in recent years, winning only one of the last 15 away league games at Spurs, with Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal side taking a 1-0 victory in March 2014.
For Tottenham vs Sunderland, attention will also turn to individual threats, with Richarlison carrying the main home goal threat and Brian Brobbey leading Sunderland’s attack, while defender Dan Ballard misses out after scoring in November’s 2-2 draw with Arsenal.
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Another storyline within Tottenham vs Sunderland involves Black Cats history, as Brobbey attempts to match Darren Bent, who was the last Sunderland player to score against both Arsenal and Spurs in a single Premier League season back in the 2009-10 campaign.
Off the pitch, interest around Sunderland’s push for European places has continued to grow, with the club promoting Thursday’s hard-earned draw at Manchester City as another important step in their development under Le Bris.
Tottenham vs Sunderland therefore brings together a home side under scrutiny for low attacking output and a visiting team with strong league form yet modest away scoring numbers, leaving Spurs as statistical favourites but under pressure to deliver the front-footed performance Frank has demanded.