. Premier League Matchday 20 - last year
. See the current injury list for all Premier League Teams
. All the Spurs Stats you could hope for here!

Full League Record against Sunderland
 
Premier       Pl   W   D   L    For-Ag  Pts
Home          16  14   1   1    36 -12  43
Away          16   7   5   4    22 -18  26
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Total(Prem)   32  21   6   5    58 -30  69  2.16 pts per game
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Football Lge
Home (Div 1)  37  14  12  11    57 -45  42
Away (Div 1)  37   8  11  18    31 -60  29
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Total(Div 1)  74  22  23  29    88-105  71
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Football Lge
Home (Div 2)   1   0   0   1     2 - 3   0
Away (Div 2)   1   1   0   0     2 - 1   2
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Total(Div 2)   2   1   0   1     4 - 4   2
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Total(Prem)   32  21   6   5    58 -30  69
Total(Div 1)  74  22  23  29    88 -105 71
Total(Div 2)   2   1   0   1     4 - 4   2
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Grand Total  108  44  29  35   150-139 141
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Last Six Premier League results:-

Spurs       -     DWLLWD
           
Newcastle 2-2    Spurs
Spurs     2-0    Brentford
Nottm Fst 3-0    Spurs
Spurs     1-2    Liverpool
C. Palace 0-1    Spurs
Brentford 0-0    Spurs

S'derland   -     DLWDDD

Liverpool 1-1    S'derland
Man City  3-0    S'derland
S'derland 1-0    Newcastle
Brighton  0-0    S'derland
S'derland 1-1    S'derland
S'derland 0-0    Man City

Pos            P  W  D  L   F-A   GD  Pts
 7. S'derland 19  7  8  4  20-18    2  29
13. Spurs     19  7  5  7  27-23    4  26

Sunderland are nobody's fall guys this season

The last time we played Sunderland was 9 years ago in January 2017 at The Stadium of Light. We drew 0-0 and finished that season as runners-up. Sunderland, managed by David Moyes, finished bottom and were relegated from the Premier League for a fourth time, after their longest spell in this league, which had lasted for 10 years.

Spurs had both Harry Kane and Heung-min Son in their side. The "Black Cats" had former Spur Jermain Defoe in their line-up.

Jordan Pickford didn't play in that 2017 game, but spent his last season at Sunderland in 2016/17. He won his first England cap after his move to Everton though. Jordan Henderson also began his professional career at Sunderland, leaving for Liverpool in 2011.

Spurs were entertainers in 2017. This year, on New Year's night they were booed by their own fans and labelled as "boring, boring Tottenham". Even Thomas Frank has admitted this week he has not been enjoying the job as coach of our team.

Just imagine the unmitigated joy of being a Sunderland fan at this time. Promoted last year after an eight-year absence, four of which were spent in the third tier, here they are deservedly sitting in seventh place, having been in the top half all season so far. Most of that time has been spent above their arch-rivals Newcastle, who they beat last month in the first Tyne-Wear league derby for nearly 10 years.

The two clubs did have an FA Cup meeting two years ago, won and celebrated with gusto by the whole Newcastle squad and staff on the Sunderland pitch. Sunderland reciprocated that mass photo celebration last month in what had been a highly fervent atmosphere.

David Moyes was Sunderland's manager in their last Premier League season, but moved on to West Ham. Since his departure Sunderland have had no less than 9 different managers, the latest of whom is 50-year-old Frenchman (formerly unknown) Regis Le Bris, whose previous post had been with Lorient.

Sunderland finished fourth in last season's Championship but beat third-placed Sheffield United in the play-off final 2-1 thanks to a 95th minute goal by 19-year-old Tom Watson whose transfer to Brighton had already been agreed. Watson was not even mentioned on the team list in the Wembley programme. Sheffield United had finished fourteen points ahead of the Wearsiders, but fluffed their lines - not for the first time. 19-year-old Watson has had little first team game time this season with the "Seagulls".

Sunderland bought or loaned virtually a whole team of new players last summer. They are being captained by former Arsenal man 33-year-old Swiss international Granit Xhaka. Xhaka has been ever-present in league matches this season.

Inevitably, some of those who won Sunderland's promotion have been sidelined. For example, former Spurs Academy player - left-back Dennis Cirkin only made his Premier League debut last Sunday against Leeds. I remember seeing Cirkin play for our young teams and found him to be a very competitive and combative left back. He joined Sunderland in August 2021. Cirkin played 90 minutes against both Leeds and Manchester City, who were held to a draw on Thursday night.

One of Sunderland's most impressive results this season was to beat Chelsea at Stamford Bridge 2-1. They've actually won there five times in the Premier League era. That's something we can only dream about.

Recent games have been negotiated with as many as 6 players absent on African Cup of Nations duty.

When Sunderland's Dan Ballard smashed home a close-range effort in November he became the first player to breach Arsenal's defence in over 13 hours of football. Ballard was once an Arsenal academy player, and had a great game against his former team, adding an assist for his side's second goal and an added time goal-saving block to his repertoire.

Last season, Ballard scored Sunderland's play-off semi-final winning goal against Coventry in the 122nd minute. He also played in the play-off final. Ballard is a doubt for tomorrow's game.

Thomas Frank had his press conference yesterday (Friday) and it seems Lucas Bergvall remains doubtful for this game. Frank was saying nothing about Brennan Johnson, but his transfer to Crystal Palace has now been confirmed. Kota Takei was on the bench for the first time at Selhurst park, and has now been loaned to Borussia Monchengladbach for the rest of the season. Xavi Simons has to serve his last game of a three-match suspension.

It stands to reason that the squad is not going to change from Thursday night's game. We must hope for more expression, creativity and entertainment. I'm not too hopeful, but have predicted a 2-0 home win. The game kicks off at 3pm tomorrow (Sunday), with Sky cameras in place.

Did you know? - Mickey Rooney, whose film career began in the 1930s appeared in pantomime at the Sunderland Empire Theatre in 2007, playing Baron Hardup in Cinderella. Rooney's eighth wife Jan Chamberlin played the Fairy Godmother. Mickey Rooney died, aged 93, in 2014.

Stuart Attwell referees us for the 25th time, having last been in the middle with Spurs in their home defeat to Fulham at the end of November.

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