Cartilage Free Captain

“Julie is a modern, dynamic full-back who brings a real attacking edge to her game. She combines pace, technical quality and game intelligence with the ability to consistently impact the game in the final third, while still delivering the defensive intensity and discipline required at the highest level. Julie’s bravery in possession, timing of her forward runs and quality of decision-making mean she will regularly influence decisive moments in advanced areas.

“She was a clear priority for us, and despite strong competition from a number of top clubs in England and across Europe, Julie chose Tottenham Hotspur as the best environment to continue her development. That decision reflects her ambition, belief in our project, and the clarity of our vision.

“We are delighted to welcome a player of her quality, mentality and potential to the Club.”

With half the Premier League season already gone, an odd quirk of the fixture calendar meant Tottenham Hotspur lined up against promoted Sunderland for the first time this campaign. A surprise outfit this season, the Black Cats had already stunned many a top side this season, and despite a strong opening 45 minutes, Spurs were to be no exception.

Thomas Frank sprung a couple of surprises of his own with his starting lineup. Ben Davies made his first start since May last year, while Mathys Tel received a rare opportunity on the left, making for an attacking front four of Richarlison, Tel, Mohammed Kudus, and Wilson Odobert at the #10. Sunderland went unchanged from their impressive goalless draw against Manchester City in midweek.

Spurs began the match in a sparkling, energetic fashion, pressing well and showing good willingness to get the ball forward, in stark contrast to the last couple of fixtures. This positive start was dampened somewhat, however, as Kudus was forced from the pitch with an apparent injury, Randal Kolo Muani taking up a role on the right in Kudus’ stead.

Though Spurs were much improved in getting the ball forward, the lack of a true creative presence around the box was telling at times, with a final ball often missing from some impressive build-up play. Spurs pushed forward though, and while Tel saw a curled effort sail just wide and Richarlison had a corner nicked off his head, it was a set piece that broke the deadlock. Cristian Romero seemed to have acres of space as he took down the ball at the far post from a Tel corner, controlling before cutting a pass back towards the penalty spot. Micky van de Ven tried to sweep a first-time shot home, with Ben Davies smartly turning the ball into the net to put Spurs into the lead.

As sharp as they were in the first half, Spurs were sloppy in the second. With the press dropping off, Sunderland found themselves in possession in advanced areas of the pitch more and more, with that possession beginning to lend itself to chances. Ben Davies went from provider to savior, clearing a ball that was about to fall to Brian Brobbey for a tap-in, before Sunderland hit the upright twice, through Brobbey and Enzo Le Fee. Spurs did have a chance to double their lead as Richarlison broke in behind, but the chance was spurned as the Brazilian took the wrong option at the wrong time, waiting too long to square the ball before opting against the shot when it was probably the best course of action and losing possession.

Things started to get chippy as well. Ex-Spurs youth product Romaine Mundle let fly an elbow on Wilson Odobert that could have seen a red, while some clashes between Lutsharel Geertruida and Rodrigo Bentancur, and Brobbey and Pedro Porro threatened to boil over. Frank opted to make defensive substitutions to try and secure the lead, while Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris brought on attacking reinforcements, and it was the latter that paid dividends.

An excellent one-two between Brobbey and Le Fee cut the Spurs defense to shreds and set the Dutchman through on goal. He made no mistake, rocketing a shot past Guglielmo Vicario in goal and evening the scoreline. With the home crowd stunned, Spurs labored to find a late winner, but were unable to make a breakthrough as the 1-1 scoreline meant two points dropped.

Reactions

Talk about a game of two halves. That first 45 minutes was probably the best I’ve seen Spurs play in some time; unfortunately, the team reverted to type in the second period.

Ben Davies coming into the XI worked fantastically well, for two reasons: one, it meant better buildup solely due to having a left-footer on the left; and two, it allowed for a lopsided formation that afforded more freedom to Pedro Porro in possession, which in turn resulted in one of the best performances from the Spaniard for some time.

Did Vicario handle the ball outside his box in the first half? It looked mighty close, and bizarrely there didn’t seem to be any replays of the incident.

Wow, Mundle didn’t seem to have any love for his former club. He really went in with that elbow. On another day that sees red, but the fact that wasn’t given on the pitch means VAR was unlikely to intervene.

The press was so, so good in the first half. Where did it go in the second? Was that tactical instruction, tiredness, or lack of focus? Maybe all three.

Look, I get the idea of bringing Joao Palhinha on to protect a one goal lead. But bringing him on for Archie Gray instead of Bentancur only meant Spurs were going to completely concede possession and drop even deeper - something that played right into Sunderland’s… feet? It also meant Spurs were completely unable to generate any attack after conceding.

Selling one of your right wingers and then immediately losing the other to injury? Cool, cool, coolcoolcool.

Not long to wait for the next match, as Spurs soon head to Bournemouth in midweek.

COYS!

It’s only January 4, but Tottenham Hotspur have been unusually busy in the January transfer window. This morning, they revealed their fourth midseason signing, announcing the loan acquisition of attacker Maika Hamano from Chelsea until the end of the season.

Hamano, 21 years old and a Japan international, joined Chelsea from INAC Kobe Leonessa in 2023. She was a member of Japan’s 2023 World Cup and 2024 Paris Olympics squads, and is considered a talented young offensive player, but she’s seen her minutes limited at Chelsea this season.

Hamano is a versatile player — she’s listed on FBRef as a forward but can play anywhere across the forward attacking band, on both flanks and centrally. The details of her loan were not disclosed, but it appears to be a “dry” loan meaning there is no purchase option at the end. That suggests to me that she is being brought in as emergency cover for Jess Naz, who is out for the rest of the season after an ACL injury a couple of weeks ago. The only downside to Hamano is, alongside fellow Japan international Toko Koga and Claire Hunt, both will miss a couple of games this spring for the Asian Cup.

This is a good signing, even if we have to give her back at the end of the year. Hamano is versatile and talented, and Martin Ho can plug her in virtually anywhere so that gives some tactical flexibility going forward. Hamano joins Matilda Nilden, Hannah Wijk, and Signe Gaupset this month and there are suggestions that Spurs Women aren’t yet finished in the transfer market with names like Julie Blakstad and Larissa Mühlhaus also mentioned.

I’ll say it again — Spurs Women are making some serious moves and are clearly positioning themselves to be in the mix for top four or five this season, though there’s plenty of work left to do. If you’re frustrated with Tottenham’s men’s team, you really really should give Spurs Women a try.

Tottenham Hotspur have their third match in eight days as the midseason crunch continues, this time against a Sunderland side that has surprised many. Sitting in seventh, six places above Spurs, this Black Cats side has outperformed all expectations and could provide a challenge to a stuttering Spurs side, with the two teams yet to meet this season.

Both sides are missing players: Spurs, largely due to injury (with a suspension and a couple of Africa Cup of Nations absentees in the mix), while Sunderland have been impacted heavily by AFCON, with a number of their squad away on international duty.

Some would say this therefore presents an intriguing matchup; others would posit that circumstances will lead to a dour slog of a match. I wouldn’t be surprised by either, and Spurs will need to take three points from this contest.

COYS!

Lineups

Live Blog

How to Watch

Tottenham Hotspur vs. Sunderland

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, UK

Sunday, January 4, 2026

Time: 10:00 a.m. ET, 3:00 p.m. UK

TV: NBCSN, Sky Sports Football (UK). Check international listings at livesoccertv.com

Streaming: Peacock

Match thread rules

The match thread rules are the same as always. To any visitors coming here for the first time, welcome! We’re glad you’re here! Wipe your feet, mind the gap, and be sure to check out the other pages at this outstanding site. While you’re here, though, we have a few rules and regulations:

Absolutely no links to illegal streams. They’re bad and they get us in trouble. Violators will be warned or banned.

We have rules against “relentless negativity.” Nobody likes a Negative Nancy. Don’t knee-jerk and post outlandish or hurtful things just because you’re frustrated.

Along those lines, outright abuse of players or match officials is also not allowed. It’s fine to say “wow, that was a really bad call,” but it’s NOT okay to direct copious amounts of abuse in the direction of said official over a call you did not like.

Treat other people in the match thread the way you would want someone else to treat your grandmother. Be nice. This is a community of fans, not an un-moderated message board.

NO SPIDERS!

Finally, while we don’t have a rule against profanity, please try and keep the naughty words in check. Also, language that is sexist, racist, transphobic, or homophobic in nature will be swiftly deleted and you will be immediately banned. This is an open, supportive community.

Have fun, and COYS!

The days of Tottenham Hotspur being near the top of the league in goals scored are long gone. In the past four matches, Spurs have scored just twice, failing to exceed 1.0 xG in any contest. While the defense has recorded consecutive clean sheets, one has to wonder if it is worth the cost — which, yes, is a little ironic given the cries from the past two seasons, but still fully justified after watching this squad’s complete attacking ineptitude.

Sunderland is the final Premier League side for Tottenham to face this season. After a surprise surge up the table, the newly promoted Black Cats have only one win in six and are back down to seventh. A -10.1 xGD (17th) suggests that regression is long overdue, and indeed their scoring output is even worse than Spurs’. Both sides come into this one fresh off 0-0 draws on Thursday…

Match Details

Date: Sunday, January 4

Time: 10:00 am ET, 3:00 pm UK

Location: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London

TV: NBCSN/Peacock (US)

Table: Spurs (t-12th, 26 pts), Sunderland (7th, 29 pts)

It has been nearly a decade since these clubs last met. The home fixture was won 1-0 by Tottenham thanks to Harry Kane in the final season at White Hart Lane. Back at the Stadium of Light, the visitors dominated possession and shot volume, but both sides failed to find the net, resulting in — how fitting — a 0-0 draw that is scarily becoming a theme here.

Two Things to Watch

Efficiency

Thomas Frank’s side has never really looked like a well-oiled scoring machine, but there was a stretch when the goals were coming more often. Much of that had more to do with efficiency than quantity of opportunities, and the squad is still first in goals per shot on target (0.43) and second in goals per shot (0.14). However, with those numbers falling to 0.18 and 0.05, respectively, over the past four matches despite shot and SOT volume staying similar, the frailty of that reliance starts to appear.

The reason why is obvious. Spurs lack any sort of lethal scoring threat, with Richarlison the only attacker so show these levels of efficiency. Unfortunately, his finishing does not inspire tons of confidence, and when he is not getting shots off there is no one else who is doing much of anything. A healthy Dominic Solanke should bring some lift here, but that is not enough to solve the drought alone.

Ambition

Perhaps the more difficult solve is even getting into position for high-quality shots. Spurs showed little interest in scoring on Thursday (and probably would not have scored even if they had tried to do so) and now face the third-toughest defense in the league. Sunderland has surrendered one total goal in its past four matches, which sets up for another frustrating effort from Frank’s side.

The bright spot would be that both City and Leeds had plenty of chances to score in Sunderland’s previous two outings, and the Black Cats’ xGA is much closer to league average than their actual number of goals allowed. But this defense has been hard to break down and is surely going to be well structured away from home, which is a recipe for disaster for Tottenham in North London. As much as supporters would like to see more scoring, the manager seems uninterested in setting up his team to do so.

Well here’s a New Year’s surprise. Kota Takai, the Japanese central defender who joined Tottenham Hotspur this summer but has yet to make a senior appearance, will have to wait a little longer for that distinction. The club announced today on social media that Takai is instead heading to Germany for the second half of the season, joining Bundesliga side Borussia Mönchengladbach on loan.

Now you can make all the jokes about “Kota Takai isn’t real, he’s a figment of our collective imaginations” all you want, but honestly I don’t hate this move. Takai joined Spurs from Kawasaki Frontale for £5m this summer which in and of itself suggests he’s one for the future. With Radu Dragusin now returned from injury, this move suggests a couple of things: a) Takai needs some time and football under his belt to make an impression, b) the club sees Takai as, at best, a 5th or 6th choice CB, and c) Radu Dragusin’s now probably not going anywhere until this summer, yappy pretend agent be damned.

It’s not all Takai’s fault that he hasn’t been used, of course. He was dealing with a nasty case of plantar fasciitis soon after he joined and then had a muscle injury later this fall. Those are two significant setbacks, and honestly going out on loan isn’t the worst move for him. And this is a really good loan! The fact that a mid-table German club wants to take a guy who hasn’t played a game outside of Japan yet suggests they think he could be a useful player. That’s good! And let’s not forget, a German loan has worked wonders for Luka Vuskovic. I like this move.

With Takai out on loan, that leaves a CB stable of Cuti Romero, Micky van de Ven, Kevin Danso, Dragusin, and Ben Davies as a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency defender. That seems okay to me. And since he’ll play in a top flight league that means we’ll hopefully have an opportunity to see him actually play football and come to some conclusions as to whether we think he has a future at Spurs or not.

Who knows, maybe by this time in 2027 he’ll have made his Spurs debut!

Yesterday we got news that Tottenham Hotspur U21 attacking midfielder was returning to north London after the club terminated his loan with Championship side Stoke City. This morning there’s a new report that says Donley will be staying in the second division, joining Oxford United until the end of the season.

The report is from Sam Rourke in Football League World — not my usual choice of sources for reliable transfer rumors, but this one is marked as an “EXCLUSIVE” and honestly feels pretty plausible. Rourke writes that the final details are being ironed out but that Donley is expected to join Oxford in the next couple of days.

This would be something of a lateral move for Donley but one with potential big upsides. Oxford are struggling in the Championship and currently sit in 23rd, one spot above bottom. However, that also happens to be the loan club for striker Will Lankshear, who is having a highly successful loan despite Oxford struggling. And in fact, joining Lankshear could be exactly what Oxford needs — the biggest complaint about Oxford is that they’re playing a dire, defensive football style and they’ve struggled to get Lankshear the ball. Donley is a ball-playing, dynamic offensive midfielder, has played with Lankshear in the Tottenham U21s, and could be a jolt of energy for the Oxen. Or not! You never know with loans.

Considering Donley’s Stoke loan was cancelled because he was stuck behind established players and wasn’t getting minutes, going to a relegation-threatened team might — might! — be a good move. Linking up with a teammate and buddy on loan could also be good for both Donley and Big Willy Lanks. Let’s hope this all works out.

Editor’s note: Apologies that this is so late - there was a masthead mix-up largely caused by yours truly!

In the midst of the festive fixture congestion, Thomas Frank returned to his old stomping ground as Brentford hosted Tottenham Hotspur on a New Year’s Day match. Some may have been confident following Spurs’ 3-0 win in the reverse fixture, but a defensive lineup from Frank consisting of a midfield three of Rodrigo Bentancur, Joao Palhinha, and Archie Gray was never going to provide much in the way of entertainment, let alone goals.

The match that thus proceeded was something barely resembling football. Both sides struggled in the final third, with the only real opportunities coming via set pieces and transition: moments that were rare as neither side were willing to take risks both in and out of possession in the fear that a counter could pull them apart. It was a set piece in fact that looked to have opened the scoring for Brentford, as Kevin Schade knocked the ball into Guglielmo Vicario’s net following a headed-on corner; but the linesman’s flag soon put paid to the momentary celebrations.

That was the closest either side came to scoring. One moment in the second half looked vaguely threatening as Richarlison headed a wonderful Gray cross back across the box only for Brentford to clear, while Gray was at the center of the action once more as he went down under a Schade challenge appealing for a penalty. Initially, it looked like a penalty could be awarded by VAR, but replays showed Schade just got a toe on the ball, while Spurs were lucky to not be punished at the other end of the pitch as Cristian Romero whiffed on a clearance then handled the ball on the ground while the last man.

The match in totality was an absolute bore; the kind of match that those who dislike football would assume is the norm. Unfortunately, for Spurs it largely has been the norm this season, and though Frank attempted to remove some of the safety blanket late on with some substitutions, Spurs were never able to create any sort of fluidity or speed of play to undo a staunch Brentford defense. The match fizzled to a 0-0 draw as the away fans, usually vigorous in their voicings of support, booed Spurs’ efforts.

Reactions

A match that was somewhat the equivalent of “this meeting could have been an email”. Were all the players hungover?

I say this in full awareness of the fact that Frank has limited options in terms of his available squad, but what on earth was that midfield? Though his options are limited, he had options. Kudus and Odobert have both spent time at the #10; instead, Frank opted to go full football terrorist playing against a weak side.

Some of his substitutions were similarly suspect. Odobert was probably the sole bright spark going forward, and when he was pulled off Spurs’ chance creation went from limited to non-existent. He is getting better with each appearance, and is almost a lock now for that left winger spot.

Conversely, Kudus seems to be almost getting worse with each appearance. He looked exhausted today, but with Brennan Johnson on his way to Palace, who is the option to deputize in that position? I’m no huge fan of Johnson, but how Frank has managed the squad is bizarre.

Archie Gray is not a good #10. That’s okay - I wouldn’t expect him to be! That said, he was the only one of the midfield three really showing any verticality in his movement and passing. It was sorely needed.

The boos from the away end and the chants of “Boring Boring Tottenham” were telling. Frank losing the away support really points to the fact his days are numbered.

I’ve already written more than this performance deserved.

COYS.

This has been a foregone conclusion for a couple of days now, but now it’s all done but the official social media posts: Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace have come to a full agreement for the transfer of Brennan Johnson.

The transfer fee is just shy of £35m which is a good price for a player Spurs bought 2.5 years ago for £47m and who has been languishing on Thomas Frank’s bench for most of this season. Johnson, as you’ve no doubt heard, was Tottenham’s leading scorer last season with 18 goals in all competitions including the goal that won Tottenham the Europa League title under Ange Postecoglou, but it’s clear he’s not in Frank’s plans this season and won’t come close to reaching those numbers should he stay. At Palace he has a better chance of getting significant minutes and could thrive in Oliver Glasner’s system, or at least as long as Glasner stays at Palace.

It’s okay to be sad — Brennan was an important player for us and gave us some incredible moments, but Spurs have been criticized for years for not moving on from players in a timely way and retooling; that’s what they appear to be doing. It’s a good price, the player wants to go, and it’s time to move on.

Welcome to 2026: New year, new you.

But is it new Spurs?

Tottenham Hotspur’s last match against Brentford ended up being somewhat of a false dawn, with that 3-0 result becoming more of a millstone than a momentum builder. Thomas Frank will be hoping though that positive signs seen against both Liverpool and Crystal Palace in recent weeks can materialize into something more tangible against his old club.

Both teams are missing players. Both teams have had mixed results. Both teams would love a win, but (almost) more than that, they would love a performance.

It’s a new year - anything can happen!

COYS!

Lineups

Lineups will be posted closer to kick-off.

Live Blog

How to Watch

Brentford vs. Tottenham Hotspur

Gtech Community Stadium, London, UK

Thursday, January 1, 2026

Time: 3:00 p.m. ET, 8:00 p.m. UK

TV: NBCSN, Sky Sports Premier League (UK). Check international listings at livesoccertv.com

Streaming: Peacock

Match thread rules

The match thread rules are the same as always. To any visitors coming here for the first time, welcome! We’re glad you’re here! Wipe your feet, mind the gap, and be sure to check out the other pages at this outstanding site. While you’re here, though, we have a few rules and regulations:

Absolutely no links to illegal streams. They’re bad and they get us in trouble. Violators will be warned or banned.

We have rules against “relentless negativity.” Nobody likes a Negative Nancy. Don’t knee-jerk and post outlandish or hurtful things just because you’re frustrated.

Along those lines, outright abuse of players or match officials is also not allowed. It’s fine to say “wow, that was a really bad call,” but it’s NOT okay to direct copious amounts of abuse in the direction of said official over a call you did not like.

Treat other people in the match thread the way you would want someone else to treat your grandmother. Be nice. This is a community of fans, not an un-moderated message board.

NO SPIDERS!

Finally, while we don’t have a rule against profanity, please try and keep the naughty words in check. Also, language that is sexist, racist, transphobic, or homophobic in nature will be swiftly deleted and you will be immediately banned. This is an open, supportive community.

Have fun, and COYS!