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The full-time whistle has been blown in the match between Tottenham and Sunderland at Stadium of Light, and it’s time for our player ratings.

Tottenham Hotspur’s 2026 misery continued as they fell to their 14th defeat of the calendar year in Roberto De Zerbi’s first game in charge. Let us take a look at how the individual players got on.

Antonin Kinsky – There was little the Czech international could do about Sunderland’s first goal, as the deflection made it impossible for him to make a save. In the first half, his late save was what kept the game level. He later picked up a knock to his head after a collision with Romero, one he played through. 7.

Destiny Udogie – While he had to pick his moments to join the attack in the first half, we saw Udogie take more calculated risks in the second half, often even finding himself in the centre-forward position. Despite being used as a traditional full-back in the first half, in the second forty-five, he often inverted. Was arguably Tottenham’s most dangerous player and also dug them out of trouble with a couple of last-ditch tackles and clearances. 7.

Cristian Romero – The tussle between the Tottenham captain and Brian Brobbey continued in the second half. The Sunderland forward often got the better of Romero, but the Argentine continued to man-mark aggressively, picking up yet another yellow card. Romero’s afternoon was cut short, and he was forced off the pitch in tears after picking up an injury following a nasty collision with Kinsky. 5.

Micky van de Ven – After a few crucial interceptions and tackles in the first half, van de Ven was rather unfortunate to see his attempt to block Mukiele’s shot get deflected and lead to a goal. 4.

Pedro Porro – In the second half, the Spaniard created what was arguably the best chance of the half with a low driven pass to Richarlison, setting the forward through on goal, but he failed to convert. Porro did force a fine save from Roefs late in the game. 5.

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Archie Gray – The 20-year-old put in a good shift in the first half for Tottenham as he looked to keep things ticking with his passing in that pivot role. But his afternoon was cut short after De Zerbi opted to replace him with Joao Palhinha. 5.

Conor Gallagher – There was a slight tweak in the second half in Spurs’ build-up, with Gallagher dropping deep to help form a back three as Spurs looked to play out, allowing Udogie to invert into midfield. He could have done better for the Sunderland goal as he was easily run past. A pretty disappointing performance all-round. 3.

Lucas Bergvall – Just like in the first half, the midfielder continued to work hard in attack and created Tottenham’s first chance in the second half, but Richarlison’s first touch prevented him from getting a shot on goal. 4.

Richarlison – After a solid display in the first half, where he provided both attacking and defensive cover, the Brazilian looked to build on it and came close early in the second half after Bergvall slipped him through, but his touch let him down. He was later played through on goal by Porro, allowing him to run at the Sunderland goal, but again his shot was tame, barely testing Roefs. 3.

Dominic Solanke – He had a good chance late in the first half, but it was not until the 70th minute before his next sight of goal, which was a weak header that barely threatened Roefs. 3.

Randal Kolo Muani – Despite a few lively moments in the first half, Muani looked rather non-existent in the second half, barely seeing the ball and having any influence on proceedings. 4.

Substitutes

Pape Matar Sarr – Came on for Lucas Bergvall and went straight into the number ten position, but did not make any difference for Tottenham. 4.

Joao Palhinha – Replaced Archie Gray and took his place in the centre of midfield for Tottenham. 4.

Mathys Tel – Came on for Richarlison and took his spot on the left of the attack, but chances were hard to come by for the forward. 4.

Kevin Danso – Replaced Romero and filled in at centre-back. 4.

The first half of Premier League action has just come to a close between Tottenham and Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.

Roberto De Zerbi’s men were held to a goalless first half in his first game in charge of Tottenham Hotspur. Let us take a look at how the individual players got on.

Antonin Kinsky – He has not been tested much; the Spurs number two is playing only his first Premier League game of the season. Granit Xhaka did, however, try to catch him out with a corner that was close to dipping into the back of the net. He was later called into action and produced a fine save as Sunderland threatened, one that should do his confidence a great deal of good. 7.

Destiny Udogie – A quieter first half from the Italian, who has barely bombed forward to overlap Richarlison. Sunderland have barely threatened his side, and each time they have, he has been equal to it. Later in the half, he joined the attack and delivered a teasing low cross that caused confusion in the Sunderland box before falling to Solanke, who failed to convert. 6.5.

Cristian Romero – The Tottenham captain has made a couple of crucial tackles inside the box and has also won a couple of headers when crosses have been flung in. Romero also held his own against Sunderland striker Brian Brobbey, getting tight and physical, but eventually picked up a yellow card. 7.

Micky van de Ven – The Dutchman has kept it simple at the back, often recycling possession and playing passes out. He did make a crucial interception later in the half after Romero ran forward to join in the attack, before picking up a soft yellow card. 6.

Pedro Porro – Sunderland are trying their best to target the right of Tottenham’s backline and Porro has often been caught out of position, although Spurs have not been punished. He did pick up a yellow card for dissent. 5.

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Archie Gray – The youngster has looked really good in the centre of the park, keeping things simple with his passing, which he has varied, short and long. He has won a couple of tackles as well, also helping to fill in at centre-back after Romero’s forward runs. 7.

Conor Gallagher – The midfielder has looked to get as many tackles in as possible in this first half, but has often struggled to cover for Pedro Porro when he is out of position. 5.5.

Lucas Bergvall – A bright early start from the Swede, who is in the number ten role this afternoon and has been tasked with leading the press from the front. He came close to giving Spurs an early lead after being well-positioned for a tap-in, only for Sunderland to clear. 6.5.

Richarlison – The Brazilian is not being deployed in the centre-forward role here, instead being used on the right, where he has looked bright. He has played a couple of through balls to set up attacks and had a good chance from the edge of the box, but his effort was tame and straight at the goalkeeper. 6.

Dominic Solanke – The Tottenham number nine almost created the first goal of the game when he latched on to a Richarlison through ball, ran down the channel and looked to pick out Bergvall in the box. As the half progressed, Solanke had a couple of half-chances, including a good opportunity late on when Udogie’s cross fell kindly to him after a couple of ricochets, but he was unable to find the back of the net 6.

The Tottenham Hotspur starting line-up for the Premier League match against Sunderland has been confirmed ahead of kick-off.

After a three-week break from Premier League action, Tottenham Hotspur return this afternoon with a crucial game against Sunderland.

This match marks the debut of new head coach Roberto De Zerbi, who replaced Igor Tudor following Spurs’ disappointing 3-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest last time out at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Tudor lasted just 44 days as Spurs boss despite being tasked with avoiding relegation in his interim role, but with De Zerbi in the dugout, Tottenham will now be hoping to get off to a winning start as they push to avoid the drop with seven games left.

Roberto De Zerbi deals with Mohammed Kudus’ absence

De Zerbi has not had any luck in his early days as Tottenham boss on the injury front, with several players still sidelined.

The new Spurs manager will have hoped to have Mohammed Kudus available for this clash, but his hopes were dashed as Kudus suffered a setback in his recovery from injury.

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Guglielmo Vicario is also unavailable as he continues to recover from his hernia surgery, having gone under the knife after Tottenham’s 3-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest.

As a result, nine Tottenham players are not in contention for this afternoon’s clash, with Rodrigo Bentancur, Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison, Wilson Odobert, Ben Davies, and Pape Matar Sarr all on the treatment table alongside the aforementioned two.

This is the Tottenham team which takes to the field at the Stadium of Light this afternoon:

Sunderland XI: Roefs; Mukiele, O’Nien, Alderete, Reinildo; Xhaka, Sadiki, Diarra; Rigg, Le Fee; Brobbey.

Subs: Ellborg, Hume, Geertruida, Cirkin, J. Jones, H. Jones, Talbi, Mayenda, Isidor

Tottenham XI: Kinsky; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Gray, Bergvall, Gallagher; Kolo Muani, Solanke, Richarlison.

Subs: Austin, Dragusin, Danso, Spence, Palhinha, Xavi, Sarr, Bissouma, Tel

Spurs face must-win clash as relegation pressure mounts

The pressure is indeed on as Spurs kick off this afternoon’s encounter sitting in the bottom three for the first time this season following West Ham’s 4-0 win over Wolves.

This makes it a must-win for Tottenham if they are to close the gap on those above them and leave the relegation places.

Nottingham Forest face Aston Villa at the same time Spurs play this afternoon, while Leeds are up against Manchester United on Monday. A victory for Tottenham could see them climb to 15th if Leeds and Forest lose their respective matches.

Brad Friedel has lifted the lid on a pivotal moment in Tottenham’s recent history, revealing just how close the club came to making a Harry Kane decision that could have changed everything.

The Tottenham Hotspur academy in recent years has struggled to produce a global star capable of bursting onto the scene and becoming a consistent figure for the club.

Harry Kane remains the most recent to have achieved that, delivering elite numbers since his debut for the club, but Spurs will be keen to see that change moving forward.

Tottenham CEO Vinai Venkatesham has since revealed that the club has plans for its academy, with the hope of seeing more breakthrough talent playing for the Spurs first-team squad in the future.

Tottenham nearly sold Harry Kane before breakthrough, Brad Friedel reveals

Of course, the building blocks are there with the likes of Mikey Moore and Luca Williams-Barnett, both top players with huge potential and a chance of becoming first-team regulars.

But while these youngsters bide their time, former Tottenham goalkeeper Brad Friedel has now revealed how close Spurs came to losing their record goalscorer just as he was about to break through.

Speaking about the situation and the role Tim Sherwood played in keeping Harry Kane at the club, Friedel told the story and made it clear how serious the discussions were at the time.

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He said: “There was like serious discussion at Tottenham about selling Harry Kane. The person responsible for Harry Kane staying at the football club is Tim Sherwood, that is for sure.

“The big one at Tottenham at the time was Harry Kane and we had Roberto Soldado at the time, a lot of money, and we had Adebayor on a lot of money and they would be left when Tim got the job. There was serious discussion at Tottenham about selling Harry Kane and getting him out.

“But it was Tim Sherwood who made sure that he was there. Now that was Tim Sherwood’s experience also as a player and now a coach, helping, and when Harry came into the first team, there were a lot of us there to help him. When he got his start and he scored his first goal, the rest, as we say, is history.

“He is now leading the world in goals at Bayern Munich, but the person responsible for Harry Kane staying at the football club is Tim Sherwood. That is for sure.”

Kane impact still felt at Spurs amid struggles

Kane spent 11 seasons in north London, and during that time, he proved a crucial player for Tottenham Hotspur.

Not only was his spell littered with goals, but it also came during Spurs’ most successful period in recent years, where they competed with the best, challenging for the Premier League and Champions League.

While the England captain never delivered silverware in north London, there is no denying how important he was to Spurs.

Since Kane’s departure, the club has suffered what has been their worst domestic campaign. They recorded a fifth-place finish in Ange Postecoglou’s first season, the campaign Kane departed, but since then, it has been 17th and now a relegation scrap for Spurs.

No doubt, Tottenham could do with a player of Kane’s quality as they fight for survival this season.

There has been a fresh update on the future of Yan Diomande, with Tottenham Hotspur continuing to eye a sensational summer deal for the RB Leipzig star.

Over the last few months, it has been widely reported that Tottenham are keen to push through a deal for Diomande, who has emerged as one of the Bundesliga’s deadliest attackers at Leipzig this season.

Back in February, Fabrizio Romano declared that ‘Spurs will be there’ in the thick of the race for the 19-year-old, but there have been mixed reports since.

It was suggested a few weeks ago that Tottenham may be priced out of a move for Diomande, but that is not what appears to be happening.

Tottenham one of four Premier League clubs interested in Yan Diomande

The Daily Mail have now revealed that Leipzig will only let their star man leave this summer for around £87m, which would represent a record transfer outlay for Spurs.

However, it appears that Tottenham have not been scared off by the price tag, with the report naming Spurs as one of the clubs to have asked about Diomande ahead of the summer.

Arsenal and Man United have also enquired about the Ivory Coast international, who now faces a big decision on his next destination.

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Additionally, Liverpool have also held a long-standing interest in Diomande, but Leipzig’s asking price may make a deal hard for the Reds, especially given that they are not guaranteed to be in the Champions League next season.

Diomande may not be bound for the Premier League

The Mail reveals that the interest in the 19-year-old is not restricted to the English clubs, with Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich also ‘in the background’.

The report further reveals that Leipzig are prepared to offer Diomande a new deal with a considerable pay rise in an effort to tempt him to remain at the Red Bull Arena.

With Tottenham set to have no European football next season, it may be difficult for the Lilywhites to convince the Ivorian to move to N17.

Chris Waddle has become the latest pundit to back Roberto De Zerbi to steady the ship at Tottenham Hotspur as they look to retain their Premier League status.

Roberto De Zerbi has a big task on his hands as Tottenham Hotspur boss, as he aims to keep Spurs in the English top flight with just seven games remaining this season.

His first encounter is against newly promoted Sunderland, a side Spurs drew with earlier this campaign when Thomas Frank was in charge.

However, this time around, Tottenham will be desperate to avoid defeat as they run the risk of finishing the gameweek in 18th place should West Ham United beat Wolves.

Tottenham backed by Chris Waddle as Roberto De Zerbi fight begins

Many pundits have had their say on whether De Zerbi is the ideal pick for Tottenham at this stage of the season.

The likes of Jay Bothroyd believe that the new Spurs boss is the perfect fit, even backing him to deliver European football next season.

However, William Gallas is not convinced by Tottenham’s appointment of De Zerbi, with the former defender of the opinion that someone like Harry Redknapp should have been the pick at this stage of the season.

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Chris Waddle has now shared his verdict on De Zerbi’s appointment, explaining why he believes the Italian can keep Spurs up while also outlining the immediate priorities for the team.

Speaking on the situation, Waddle told Fruity King: “Roberto De Zerbi will keep Tottenham from being relegated – the fans will want to see his football

“I was all for Glenn Hoddle going back as caretaker but Roberto De Zerbi is a good manager and he did well at Marseille under difficult circumstances. He is well-prepared and he loves the game. He is very tactically aware. He likes to play a type of football that Tottenham fans want to see and he will get them organised but the priority now is to stay up.

“They will all be tricky games from this point on. People say this is not as hard as this game and this game but they are all hard games when you have got no confidence. He has got to inject confidence back into this team. He has got to make them difficult to beat again, and at the minute draws are good results if you are not getting beat.

“Bringing in Roberto De Zerbi is a good move. He has managed Marseille, which is a difficult club to manage. He knows what to expect and the thing with him is he is football mad and he is a very good coach as well. I am sure he can get this Tottenham group together to keep them up and then at the end of season he can oversee a good clear out and get some new players in with the quality he needs.”

Spurs face defining run under Roberto De Zerbi in relegation battle

While the jury is still out on De Zerbi, the Italian will no doubt be focused on the games at hand for Spurs as they aim to beat the drop.

It is currently an intense relegation fight, with three other teams very likely to also go down this season, making it all the more possible for Tottenham to survive.

Leeds, Nottingham Forest and West Ham are all in this fight, and this gameweek is absolutely crucial for Tottenham in their battle against relegation.

Victory against Sunderland, with results elsewhere going their way, and De Zerbi’s side will be up to 15th in the league table, allowing his side to build much-needed momentum before the Premier League run-in.

Tottenham Hotspur are already looking ahead to a potential summer rebuild, with reports now linking the Lilywhites with a 21-year-old Belgian midfielder who has worked with De Zerbi in the past.

While the focus at the moment for Tottenham Hotspur under Roberto De Zerbi is to retain their Premier League status, there is no denying that one eye also remains on squad-building efforts ahead of next season.

We already know that De Zerbi will play a key role in who is signed this summer, as Spurs are expected to embark on a rebuild, regardless of the division they find themselves in.

Of course, it remains vital for Tottenham to be a Premier League team if they are to attract top talent and have a decent amount to spend.

De Zerbi has already begun assembling a list of players he wants to lure, with reports claiming that Manuel Locatelli is a top transfer target for the new Spurs boss.

Tottenham target Arthur Vermeeren as Spurs plan summer transfer rebuild

Sportsboom are now reporting that De Zerbi has set his sights on yet another midfielder ahead of the summer transfer window.

It is understood that Belgium and Marseille midfielder Arthur Vermeeren is one player Tottenham are mulling over the possibility of signing if they beat the drop this season.

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The 21-year-old is no stranger to De Zerbi, having worked under the Italian when he was head coach of Marseille earlier this season.

It is explained that Vermeeren is one player the Tottenham manager has requested be added to a list of potential targets as he plots a major rebuild in north London.

Spurs transfer plans raise questions over Arthur Vermeeren readiness

Of course, signing players who have worked with the new coach has its perks, but Tottenham will want to keep an eye on whether Vermeeren has what it takes to thrive in the Premier League.

The 21-year-old is no doubt an exciting prospect and has managed six caps for Belgium, but has struggled for minutes in Ligue 1.

Vermeeren has managed just 14 games, eight of which were starts, and with game time not easy to come by in France, it raises questions as to whether he is ready for such a big jump to English football.

The 21-year-old is on loan from RB Leipzig, with his loan ending this summer, and it is explained that he will be available for £25 million if Spurs were to make a move.

Tottenham Hotspur have just been handed a major boost as they contemplate an offer for RB Leipzig star Castello Lukeba.

With a few defensive exits on the cards for Tottenham this summer, the club’s backline could look very different in Roberto De Zerbi’s first full season in charge than it currently does.

While Luka Vuskovic has shown signs that he could be ready for a first-team role at Spurs, one would not be surprised if the Lilywhites add reinforcements to their central defence this summer.

Tottenham have been credited with an interest in Castello Lukeba, and the Lilywhites’ pursuit of the Frenchman has just been boosted.

RB Leipzig’s asking price for Tottenham target Castello Lukeba revealed

A new report in TEAMtalk has now handed Spurs a boost by revealing that the 23-year-old has reached an agreement with Leipzig that he will leave the club this summer.

The Bundesliga club see the upcoming transfer window as the right time to move the centre-back on, and they want to make him their one major sale of the window.

The report claims that although the French international has a £70m release clause in his contract, intermediaries have communicated that an offer of £55m would be enough to prise him away from the Red Bull Arena.

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Spurs’ Premier League rivals have been notified about Lukeba’s availability

TEAMtalk reveal that the same intermediaries have already contacted Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Man United to notify them about the former Lyon man’s availability.

The report says that Liverpool have retained ‘a long-standing interest’ in Lukeba while Man United are also ‘firmly in the picture’ for the centre-back.

Tottenham Hotspur will like hearing about the latest developments at Manchester City as the Lilywhites eye a move for James Trafford this summer.

With Guglielmo Vicario continuing to be heavily linked with a move to Inter Milan, Tottenham have seemingly started preparing for life after the Italian.

According to various reports, Tottenham have identified Trafford as the top target to replace Vicario and are ready to push ahead with a move for the Englishman.

It has been suggested that the Man City star is open to moving to Spurs this summer as he is keen to get regular starts under his belt.

Man City have started efforts to replace Tottenham target James Trafford

According to TEAMtalk, Man City may just have given their clearest indication yet that they are ready to cash in on the 23-year-old.

The report says that Pep Guardiola’s men are now exploring a move to bring highly-rated goalkeeper Pierce Charles back to the club.

The Manchester club expect Trafford to leave, and they want to bring in a high-quality deputy to compete with and support Gianluigi Donnarumma.

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In fact, City have already conducted some background checks on Charles’ situation ahead of a possible move to re-sign the 20-year-old from Sheffield Wednesday.

Two Premier League clubs could challenge Spurs for Trafford

Some outlets have claimed that Newcastle are favourites to beat Tottenham to Trafford this summer after the Magpies came close to landing the goalkeeper last summer.

Meanwhile, it has also been suggested that Aston Villa could look to lure the Spurs goalkeeping target to Villa Park this summer.

Tottenham Hotspur have just discovered how much they have to pay to secure the services of Man United midfielder Manuel Ugarte.

The midfield department at Tottenham may require major surgery, with some of the workmanlike midfielders at the club perhaps not being a natural fit for Roberto De Zerbi’s style of play.

According to reports, De Zerbi has already had conversations with the Spurs hierarchy regarding midfield targets, with the Italian targeting experienced performers.

Over recent days, it has been reported that Tottenham are eyeing a move for Manuel Ugarte, and the Lilywhites have now learned that the player could be available at a discount.

Tottenham can land Manuel Ugarte for a cut-price fee

Sky Sports’ Sacha Tavolieri has now suggested that the Spurs midfield target could be allowed to leave Old Trafford this summer.

The journalist reveals that, having failed to secure a place in Michael Carrick’s starting eleven this season, Ugarte could be one of two senior midfielders leaving the Manchester club this summer.

In fact, Tavolieri says United could let the 24-year-old leave this summer for just £35m, despite paying £50m to sign him two years ago.

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He states that ‘concrete discussions’ regarding Ugarte’s future are expected to begin as early as May or June.

Three clubs could challenge Spurs for Ugarte

Interestingly, Tavolieri does not mention Tottenham as one of the leading contenders for the Man United man, instead stating that “Newcastle United, Chelsea and other clubs” are keeping an eye on the midfielder.

He also reveals that Juventus are also closely monitoring Ugarte’s situation, and adds that the Bianconeri’s pursuit of the former PSG man would be boosted if they qualify for the Champions League.