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Tottenham Hotspur experienced a frustrating draw against Sunderland in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.

We’ve analysed the performance of the Spurs players throughout the ninety minutes and beyond at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Ben Davies fired Tottenham ahead on the half hour mark, an advantage which they maintained heading into half time, only for Brian Brobbey to equalise in the second half with both sides playing out a 1-1 draw.

How the Spurs players rated against Sunderland

Below, we have given each Tottenham player a performance rating on a scale of 0-10, with 10 highest score achievable for an impressive performance

Guglielmo Vicario – 5

Didn’t have a lot to do in the first half. Had a nervy moment after the break when he flapped at the ball and missed it. Could do little about the equaliser.

Pedro Porro – 5

Never shirks from the physical battle and got stuck in on more than one occasion. His crossing, however. was way below par.

Cristian Romero – 5

Made a nearly costly error early in the second half. Will now wait to see if he has been handed a further ban by the FA. Dragged out of position for Sunderland’s goal.

Micky van de Ven – 6

Bagged an assist for his part in Davies’ goal. Used his pace a couple of times to help out defensively.

Ben Davies – 6

Not many would have had Davies down to start, let alone score the opening goal.

Archie Gray – 5

A steady performance, nothing eye-catching. Replaced on 71 mins.

Rodrigo Bentancur – 5

Has rolled up his sleeves to get stuck into some tackles, but still needs to play the ball forwards more often. Booked.

Mathys Tel – 6

Tottenham’s best player in the first half with some lively play on the left flank and had a couple of efforts on goal. Unfortunately, did not have the same impact after the break. Replaced on 86 mins.

Wilson Odobert – 5

Filling in for Xavi Simons in the number ten position while the Dutchman serves the last match of his suspension. Replaced on 71 mins.

Mohammed Kudus – 5

Typically, just after Brennan Johnson is sold, Kudus picked up a thigh injury fifteen minutes into the game and had to be replaced by Randal Kolo Muani.

Richarlison – 5

Made a good run in behind on 54 minutes, but needs to release the ball earlier across the goal when a second goal was so desperately needed.

Randal Kolo Muani – 6

A first-half replacement for Kudus, saw plenty of the ball during his time on the pitch, but still no home goal.

Lucas Bergvall – 5

Fumbled the ball for a foul throw. A replacement on 71 mins.

Joao Palhinha – 5

Also came on with 19 mins remaining. Flicked a late header the wrong side of the post in added time. Booked.

Dane Scarlett – N/A

On for the last four minutes.

Djed Spence – N/A

Replaced Davies at left-back on 86 mins.

Thomas Frank has spoken about what he expects Tottenham Hotspur’s transfer strategy to look like during the January window.

Tottenham Hotspur have already been active since the transfer window reopened, with Brennan Johnson completing a move to Crystal Palace.

As well as this, Kota Takai has departed Spurs on loan after failing to make a single appearance since he moved to North London last summer.

However, Tottenham are yet to announce their first January signing, leaving their squad depleted as a host of players continue to be unavailable.

Thomas Frank wants the Tottenham first-team to be improved

Thomas Frank wants Spurs to bring in players who will make his team stronger immediately after their arrivals.

However, the Dane still believes it is important to sign young prospects. Therefore, he will not stand in the way if those at the top of the Tottenham hierarchy decide to add players who might not yet have the quality to be regular starters.

He told Football London: “We are there in the market and will do everything we can to improve the squad, but we should be so aware that short-term impact can’t limit long-term success. But on the flip side, can we do something that will really improve us? I think we should go very hard for that.”

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He added: “It always needs to be both players that can impact the team now, that’s the main priority, but at the same time it’s not that we just stop signing teenagers because you need to have players with impact now and players for the long term.

“Sometimes you sign a young player who is good enough to play now, sometimes you sign a young player who comes in and you send him on loan and they are part of the long-term thinking so it will still be a mix of both.”

Franks wants Spurs to sign their favoured transfer targets

One point Frank has emphasised is that Tottenham do not drop too far down their list of transfer targets, because signing players who can make an impact now is highly important.

“We have lists of players and we have priority numbers one, two, three, four, five and six in every position. And if we go to number six…. it’s probably not as good as you want. Is number six good enough for us to get to where we want to be in the future? Probably not. But it’s a fine balance,” he admitted.

“Sometimes you need to take some steps forward before we can get the perfect solution. So, that’s why I’ve said every decision we make needs to be for long-term success but [be] very aware of how impactful it can be now, as well. So that could end with that [no signings]. But of course I hope that we are [active].”

Frank added: “I know that Johan [Lange], Fabio [Paratici], Vinai are working day and night to do everything, together with the recruitment team, the [Lewis] family is backing us with everything. But I think the best clubs take good, sensible decisions.”

Watch how Tottenham Hotspur’s Mikey Moore grabbed the decisive goal between Rangers and Celtic in the Old Firm derby.

In Scotland, the derby between Rangers and Celtic is usually intense and fierce, with both sides eager to get one over their bitter rivals.

On Saturday afternoon, the rivalry between the two sides was reignited as the two Scottish giants locked horns, with just three points separating the teams who came into the clash sitting third and second respectively.

It was Rangers, however, who got the better of their bitter rivals in the Old Firm derby, as they closed the gap on Celtic as well as Hearts, who sit top of the Scottish Premiership table.

Tottenham loanee Mikey Moore scores in Old Firm derby

Tottenham Hotspur’s Mikey Moore is out on loan with Rangers and got a taste of the local derby between the two sides, starting from the off.

The teenager, who had a difficult start to life in Glasgow, has been slowly finding his feet, and this afternoon he played a vital role in helping Rangers secure all three points against Celtic.

Moore grabbed the third and final goal in the clash in the 70th minute, after he beat Schmeichel with a low angled finish that the experienced goalkeeper really should have kept out.

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Still, the young forward did well to take on Gassama’s pass and tee up the strike. Watch goal below:

Mikey Moore stats against Celtic

Tottenham Hotspur will be pleased with the way the youngster is developing as he continues to gather much-needed experience away on loan.

It was not just his goal that made him a standout in the clash, as Moore put in a solid performance overall.

The teenager managed three shots, created one big chance, had three touches in the opposition box, and, defensively, won two of his three aerial duels.

Tottenham return to Premier League action this weekend as they look to build momentum at home, with Sunderland arriving in north London for a crucial fixture. Here’s how to watch the clash between Tottenham and Sunderland.

Tottenham Hotspur will be taking to the pitch three days after their last Premier League game, where they managed to secure a 0-0 draw against Brentford.

It was a league fixture that was void of any sort of creativity, as Tottenham barely threatened Brentford’s defence at the Gtech Community Stadium.

Spurs still sit in the bottom half of the league table and remain four points off the top five, with the need to close that gap becoming increasingly pressing.

When and where Tottenham vs Sunderland takes place

Tottenham will host Sunderland at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday, 4 January 2026, with kick-off set for 15:00 (UK time).

How to watch Tottenham vs Sunderland in the Premier League

Supporters in the United Kingdom can watch the match live on Sky Sports Football and Sky Sports Ultra HDR.

Spurs and Sunderland team news

Spurs still have several players unavailable for this clash, with Xavi Simons suspended, while Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison and Dominic Solanke remain sidelined with long-term injuries.

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Kota Takai is also unavailable for selection following his loan move to Borussia Monchengladbach, while Lucas Bergvall remains a doubt as he continues to nurse a knock.

Destiny Udogie is working his way back to full fitness and could feature, while Pape Matar Sarr and Yves Bissouma are away on AFCON duty.

Sunderland also arrives with absentees, as Habib Diarra, Bertrand Traore, Chemsdine Talbi, Noah Sadiki, Arthur Masuaku and Reinildo are all unavailable due to international duty.

Ajibola Alese is sidelined with a shoulder injury, while Daniel Ballard remains a doubt as he continues to recover from an ankle problem.

Spurs Web prediction for Tottenham vs Sunderland

Tottenham need to secure a victory here if they are to keep pace with the top five in the league.

Chelsea face Manchester City later in the day and there could be dropped points there, and should that be the case, Frank’s side must be ready to capitalise, having failed to do so last gameweek when all of their top-five rivals dropped points.

Sunderland, however, is no pushover and has proven to be a tough test for many of the bigger sides, but Spurs must overcome Regis Le Bris’ side on Sunday to generate momentum for the year ahead.

Tottenham Hotspur have settled on two top targets to replace Brennan Johnson, one of whom is among the most sought-after wingers in European football.

Brennan Johnson is now officially a Crystal Palace player, with the winger leaving Tottenham just seven months after his Europa League final heroics.

Tottenham received £35m for Johnson, and that money is expected to be used to sign a replacement.

The Lilywhites have now been handed a major boost after learning that one of their top winger targets is open to a switch to N17.

Yan Diomande sees Tottenham as an attractive destination

TEAMtalk now claim that Yan Diomande has been identified by the Lilywhites as one of their top targets to replace the Wales international.

The 19-year-old, who has seven goals and four assists across 16 outings in all competitions this term, is said to be open to a switch to the Premier League this term.

Spurs have scouted Diomande extensively and have already held advanced talks with his representatives.

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Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester City, Bayern Munich and PSG are also monitoring the teenager’s situation, but the player sees Spurs as an ‘attractive destination’ for regular game time.

Man City’s Oscar Bobb seen as perfect fit for Tottenham

TEAMtalk also back up what we have heard from other sources by stating that Tottenham are keeping a very close eye on Man City’s Oscar Bobb.

The 22-year-old’s versatility and his defensive work rate are valued by Tottenham, who see him as a perfect fit for Frank’s system.

Bobb is expected to be open to a loan on a permanent switch, with Spurs facing competition from Crystal Palace, Fulham and Borussia Dortmund for the Norwegian.

Tottenham Hotspur have given hands-off warnings to Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig after they enquired about the availability of one of their starlets.

Spurs have a bloated squad, and it appears that they are determined to trim the fat in January.

Brennan Johnson has officially completed a move to Crystal Palace, while there have also been claims that Tottenham are ready to sell Yves Bissouma.

There continues to be speculation over Radu Dragusin’s Spurs future, while some outlets are also suggesting that Ben Davies could bring an end to his eleven-and-a-half-year stay at Tottenham this month.

Tottenham defender wanted by Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig

CaughtOffside has now claimed that another of Spurs’ young guns is now attracting keen interest in light of his impressive performances out on loan.

Luka Vuskovic’s authority in defence on loan at Hamburg has caught the attention of Bayern Munich, who have launched an enquiry about the 18-year-old.

They have been joined by RB Leipzig, with both German sides making informal approaches to Spurs about the Croat.

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However, Tottenham have given a firm response to the two Bundesliga sides, shutting down any suggestions of a January sale of Vuskovic.

Spurs contemplating Vuskovic decision after transfer interest

CaughtOffside explain that Tottenham regard Vuskovic as a potential ‘cornerstone’ of their future backline.

The Lilywhites have a carefully structured development plan for the centre-back, and they have been impressed by his maturity, aerial dominance and calm distribution

Tottenham Hotspur have recalled one of their brightest youngsters, only to send him back out on loan with a £4.5m purchase option.

While many Spurs youngsters are impressing out on loan this term, two players have been recalled after struggling to get game time.

Winger Damola Ajayi was recalled from Doncaster Rovers after making just one start for the League One side during the first half of the campaign.

Subsequently, Jamie Donley’s loan spell at Stoke City was cut short, with the attacking midfielder playing just 77 minutes of Championship football for the Potters this term.

Jamie Donley joins Oxford United on loan

Just days after being recalled by Spurs, it has now emerged that Donley has already sealed another loan move for the next six months – and maybe longer.

Tottenham officially announced on Friday evening that the attacking midfielder is set to join Championship strugglers, Oxford United, on loan until the end of the season.

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Spurs want the 20-year-old to get regular football under his belt for the next five months, but they have also given Oxford the chance to sign Donley permanently.

That is because the Championship side have a £4.5m option-to-buy clause in their loan for the Tottenham forward (Paul O’Keefe). Although Oxford seem unlikely to have the funds to pull off such a deal, it seems strange for Spurs to risk parting with one of their brightest talents for such a low fee.

Donley will join Tottenham U21 teammate at Oxford United

Donley will find a familiar face at Oxford as his Tottenham U21 teammate, Will Lankshear, is currently on loan at the club.

Lankshear has scored six goals and provided one assist so far for the Yellows, who are currently languishing just one spot off the bottom of the table.

Lankshear and Donley have combined impressively at the youth level for the Lilywhites many a time, and the pair will be hoping to do the same at the Kassam Stadium.

Fiorentina are on the verge of giving up their pursuit of a Tottenham Hotspur man despite being optimistic about the deal earlier.

Fabio Paratici is expected to be appointed as Fiorentina’s head of football by the end of this week.

The Italian is set to resign just two and a half months after taking over as the North London club’s sporting director, and Paratici’s exit is expected to leave a vacuum at Spurs during the January window.

It was reported last week that Fiorentina were hopeful Paratici could help them sign Radu Dragusin from Tottenham, but it appears that the Italian club are no longer so sure.

Fiorentina ready to give up on Tottenham centre-back Radu Dragusin

A report in La Nazione has now claimed that the optimism is now fading at the Artemio Franchi Stadium about a possible deal for the Spurs star.

The report explained that Fiorentina’s advances for Dragusin had previously been knocked back by Tottenham, but the Italian club were of the belief that Paratici’s arrival could be a turning point in their pursuit.

However, a deal for the 23-year-old is now ‘getting complex’ despite the Spurs sporting director’s impending arrival. As a result, La Viola are now ready to turn their attention to Brighton defender Diego Coppola instead.

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Spurs are insisting on a specific formula for Dragusin

Meanwhile, a different report from Il Messaggero says that AS Roma’s hopes of landing the Romanian are also fading.

The outlet claims that Roma wanted to sign Dragusin on an initial loan deal, but Spurs are only willing to accept a permanent sale of Dragusin, with the Lilywhites proving a tough nut to crack for the Giallorossi.

Thomas Frank has now made a promise to Tottenham Hotspur supporters, claiming he will deliver attacking football.

Thomas Frank has often struggled to get his side to play on the front foot since joining Tottenham Hotspur back in the summer.

Thursday’s game against Brentford might have been the most boring of games for Tottenham, who barely threatened the Bees as they managed to create zero big chances.

The away fans on the night were equally as bored by Spurs’ display, and they made that very clear, with chants of boring, boring Tottenham being sung at the Gtech Community Stadium.

Thomas Frank promises to deliver goals at Tottenham

Speaking after the Brentford clash, with pressure from the Tottenham fans mounting on Frank, the Dane has now gone on to make a promise to the Lilywhite faithful.

He addressed the team’s attacking output, the impact of injuries and his belief that performances will improve, as he explained his outlook to Football.London.

He said: “I think what will 100% happen is that we will score a lot of goals and be much more dominant in a lot of games, but in the current situation with a lot of players out, it makes it more tricky with a lot of games.

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“It is about small steps, going in the right direction and then get the wins and it will all be forgotten. Right now it is the talk of the town, fair enough, but we need to focus behind the scenes.”

He added (Tottenham): “Yeah, it’s not perfect. We want us to be free-flowing. I think, a couple of things I want to reinforce positively is the last two away performances. To stand on the foundation we are building was very strong against Crystal Palace and Brentford.

“I think we were very good defensively, actually fantastic defensively last night, gave them more or less nothing. I think that’s hugely important. I think we understood how to close down their transitions. Then we’re working very hard and understand frustration, I share them too, very hard on the offensive part of the game.

“There’s a few things in that we need to do our best to improve. One of them is, for example, yesterday we lost the ball on unforced errors 25 times. I showed those 25 clips to the players today, just short, just like a reminder, that’s focus, that’s concentration, all that. Of course, football is a game of mistakes, you lose the ball, so that can happen because of bad decisions, bad touch, whatever, or concentration.

“So could just half of them be better? That will provide us more attacks, and there was definitely maybe five, at least, good counter-attacks, where a better touch, then you’re suddenly 3v3. Then it looks a little bit more lively, a little bit more open, a little bit better. So that’s the one level we need to do.

“Then the next bit is the patterns and the structure and getting in the right position. We didn’t get that right last night, I showed that again to the players today. That is my responsibility together with the coaches, I always take that.

“And then the third thing, I think it’s also okay to mention that we still lack some very important offensive players that’s been out for a while, I don’t want to mention them again. I get a little bit bored, very bored and sick and tired of naming them. And on top of that, we didn’t have Xavi Simons for various reasons or Lucas Bergvall. So the ones on the pitch, always trust them, always believe in them.

“I think Wilson, I’ve said it many times, is a very promising player that I believe a lot in. Looks so lively against Crystal Palace, but also natural, very young player, then he was a little bit up and down yesterday. I’m convinced he’ll be very good for us.

“And then on top of that, you play every game, every third and fourth game. And when you do that, the ability with the concentration level and the physical level to be at the top to keep producing is what, how can you say, split the good players from the very best to do that. And sometimes you can be a good player to coach the very best, but you also learn along the way.

“So that’s where we are right now. It’s unfortunately very boring, but that’s the fact. We need to do everything we can to put an attacking, intense, front-footed performance out against Sunderland in two days’ time. I’ll do everything I can to make sure we do that. And if we do that and get three points – so seven from three (games), which is very good, which would be a very good output. So that’s the aim.

“By the way, against a Sunderland team, that’s done unbelievably well. And I know for a fact, because, when I say attitude, I’m confident in my own skill set. I’m also very humble about who I am, where we are, and what we need to do. And I know what we’re facing tomorrow against Sunderland, because I’ve been there myself. That’s going to be tough, but we need to be on it. That’s a long answer, actually.”

External pressure grows on Frank at Spurs

Indeed, Frank needs to focus on getting things right at Tottenham, as he appears to be losing the fans who remain largely dissatisfied.

The Dane was booed by his own supporters when he made his way over to applaud them after the Brentford clash.

While Frank will be hoping for patience and the return of his injured players, the Tottenham faithful do not look convinced that the 52-year-old is the man for the job or the right fit.

Thomas Frank has reacted to the frustration of the Tottenham Hotspur fans surrounding his team’s style of defensive play.

Tottenham have posted some of the worst xG scores across the Premier League this season, and they are continuing to struggle to create chances consistently.

It was the same old story during their 0-0 draw at the Gtech Community Stadium on Thursday, with the game being devoid of chances for either side.

The team’s style of play is as far opposed to the club’s ‘To Dare is To Do’ motto as one can get, but Frank insisted that there are mitigating factors.

Thomas Frank says Tottenham have to prioritise defensive solidity first

The travelling Spurs fans to West London certainly made their feelings known after the final whistle, and the Tottenham boss admits that he is aware that the team needs to create more chances.

He confessed that his side made too many unforced errors in possession on Thursday and pointed out that they were without their most creative players.

When asked how conscious he is of wanting to be entertaining for the fans, Frank told Football.London: “Yeah, but I think there are two things in it. I think if you, as a team, are not strong defensively – that’s not the same as you can’t play offensive football – It’s just impossible to compete over a long season. Impossible. If you want to end in the nice, good position you’d like to end in.

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“Then, of course, the offensive part of it, you need to open up enough and do that. I think we still do that. Then there’s another element, no matter what shape, offensive or defensive you are, you can’t make the amount of unforced errors we do today. For example, in our last game against Crystal Palace, that’s the bit we need to definitely see if we can improve.

“Then the next bit is you need to work on the offensive patterns and the structure and keep working very hard on that. Then the final bit is probably a little bit some key offensive players out for a game like this, for example. The ones we talked about a lot and then on top of that Xavi and Lucas. So probably that didn’t help as well.”

Frank explains why Spurs ‘cannot open up too much’

The 52-year-old conceded that his side are not clicking as they would want in attack at the moment.

He stressed that while they are working hard to fix that, it makes it even more important for the team to retain its defensive shape.

When asked if he is worried about losing the faith of the fans if the team does not play more offensive football, the Dane responded: “Of course, we need to play, it’s not that we don’t want to play offensive or attacking football.

“I just think when we’re not, how can you say, on the top of the game we would like to be, we work very, very hard on that, but while you work hard on that you can’t, if you struggle scoring goals, let’s say that, or create enough chances, you can’t open up too much because then you need to score too many goals. So it’s a fine balance.”