Tottenham were held to a 1-1 draw by Sunderland in the Premier League, a result that kept Thomas Frank’s side in the bottom half of the table but offered signs of improvement. Ben Davies scored first before Brian Brobbey struck late, leaving Spurs 13th and seven points behind fourth-placed Liverpool after 20 league games.
Frank’s team had chances to claim all three points at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, yet failed to take control. After Davies finished neatly on 30 minutes, Spurs created several good openings. However, they allowed Sunderland back into the game and were punished when Brobbey produced a late long-range strike to secure a share of the points.
Key moments followed Brobbey’s equaliser as both clubs chased a winner. Trai Hume almost
completed a Sunderland turnaround, but Tottenham’s goalkeeper tipped the effort over the bar. At the other end, Joao Palhinha met a cross with a clever header that flashed just wide of Robin Roefs’ left post, underlining how open the closing stages became.
Frank reflected that performance levels moved closer to his preferred style despite the frustration. "There were a lot of positives in the performance," Frank told BBC Sport. "The first half was much more like we want to do. I liked our intensity with and without the ball, we created a lot of good situations, but we lacked the decisiveness to finish the game off. "
The head coach felt Tottenham remained on top for spells after the interval as well, though the missed chances proved costly. "The second half was a little more back and forth, but we were slightly on top, and still got into those attacking situations where we needed to kill the game off. The positive is the intensity, the negative is we didn’t score a second goal. "
That draw continued a pattern under Frank in the league. Tottenham have now drawn six of 20 Premier League fixtures with Frank in charge, alongside seven wins and seven defeats. That equals the number of draws Spurs recorded in their final 53 league games under Ange Postecoglou, when they won 18 matches and lost 29.
Frank’s early months at Spurs have been challenging, with frustration building among sections of the support. The former Brentford manager had already been booed following a 0-0 home draw against his old club on New Year’s Day. The full-time whistle brought more jeers against Sunderland, although Frank underlined the backing heard during most of the contest.
"First and foremost, throughout the game the fans were very good and backing us and that is all we are asking for," Frank added. "I am sure the fans will acknowledge the first half and they [the players] tried throughout the game, but sometimes it doesn’t go your way. "
The points are shared in N17 pic.twitter.com/cnmyYK8p2TTottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) January 4, 2026
While Tottenham dealt with tension in the stands, Sunderland extended a strong start to life back in the Premier League. Regis Le Bris’ side stretched an unbeaten league sequence to five matches, although the last four have all ended level. That run is Sunderland’s longest without defeat in the competition since a six-game streak under Sam Allardyce between April and May 2016.
Le Bris admitted Sunderland were second best before half-time but felt the basics improved later. "Tactically, we were OK [in the first half] but we didn’t win enough duels, we were sloppy on the ball, the flow of the game was not as expected," Le Bris said. "During the second half, at half-time we said just 1-0 down, it’s impossible to change the dynamic. It’s up to us because it’s about simple things and we had the ability to change those things in the second half. "
The draw leaves Tottenham searching for greater ruthlessness in attack and stability in results, while Sunderland continue to build confidence through resilience. With Spurs still chasing the Champions League places and Sunderland focused on consolidating in the Premier League, both teams leave the match encouraged by key aspects but aware that small margins are shaping their seasons.
