Tottenham Hotspur vs Sunderland; Premier League
Tottenham Hotspur vs Sunderland. Premier League.
Tottenham Hotspur StadiumAttendance60,877.
Tottenham 1-1 Sunderland: Spurs booed off again as Brian Brobbey scores late leveller
Report and free match highlights as Tottenham booed off for a second game in a row after 1-1 home draw against Sunderland; Brian Brobbey’s late leveller keeps pressure on Spurs boss Thomas Frank; Ben Davies scored first-half opener but Spurs fail to hold on as they start 2026 winless
Sunday 4 January 2026 18:38, UK
Tottenham were booed off for a second consecutive game after a 1-1 home draw against Sunderland, as Brian Brobbey’s late leveller kept the pressure on Spurs boss Thomas Frank.
Thursday’s drab goalless draw at Brentford saw Frank booed by Spurs fans at full-time in west London after the away end had chanted “boring, boring Tottenham” during the uninspiring draw.
And although Spurs were far more entertaining in the first half against Sunderland, as they took a deserved lead through surprise goalscorer Ben Davies, the visitors stepped it up in the second half to grab a draw and spark more jeers.
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Spurs had just one shot on target in the second half, and the home fans’ frustrations were compounded when Brobbey hammered home an equaliser in the 80th minute.
Spurs substitute Joao Palhinha headed a good chance to win it wide in stoppage time as Spurs’ winless start to 2026 continued.
Frank’s side, who have won just two of their last 11 league games, remain 13th and are seven points off the top four.
Spurs were also dealt an injury blow in the draw as key attacker Mohammed Kudus was forced off in the 19th minute, with his injury coming just two days after Brennan Johnson's £35m sale to Crystal Palace.
Sunderland, meanwhile, grabbed a fourth draw in a row as they impressively battle against the backdrop of multiple Africa Cup of Nations absentees to sit eighth.
Frank: We didn't kill the game off
Tottenham head coach Thomas Frank speaking at his post-match press conference:
"Pleased with the first half. I think we showed a lot of good intentions, a lot of good play. I think we came in some very good offensive situations where we lacked the cutting-edge quality.
"I think the big headline is we didn't score the 2-0 goal. We didn't kill the game off. Two-nil, then we are out of sight.
"We gave nothing away throughout the game. We have one where they do a top bit of play and then it's 1-1. So for me it was the 2-0 goal we lacked.
"I think first half was very good, I think we were totally dominant. Second half, not as dominant, but we still get into some very good situations, have some good counter-attack situations where we need to get more out of it.
"You can't rely on in the Premier League just to win 1-0."
Le Bris: We were lucky not to be punished in the first half
Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris speaking at his post-match press conference:
"We had a lack of energy and just 1-0 down it was possible to switch on.
"We were a bit lucky because in a Premier League game, when you don't play at your best, you should be punished.
"It wasn't the case, so we were still alive. We said, just switch on, do simple things well, because I think tactically we were OK.
"It was just a question of being more composed with the ball and the ability to win the first contact because they went direct as expected against our man-for-man press. We didn't win the first contact, the second ball, so the balance of the game was like that. We had the character and the quality to switch on and I think it's positive."
Analysis: Frank continues battle with unhappy fanbase
New year, same old soundtrack at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as the final whistle was once again greeted by boos.
Last year saw Spurs suffer 11 league home defeats - a club record in a calendar year - and although this was not a loss, the home fans left dissatisfied again.
A bright first half had Spurs supporters smiling, with a shot-laden display that saw a surprise goal scorer in Davies.
His first Spurs goal in three years on his first Premier League start of the season brought about fun-filled chants, making the mood feel different at half-time in north London.
But it proved a false dawn, as Sunderland came out a different side in the second half to deservedly peg Spurs back and maintain the ill-feeling in N17.
Spurs boss Frank once again heard jeers at the final whistle as he continues his battle against an unhappy fanbase.
And when it rains, it pours, as Kudus suffered a first-half injury just two days after Johnson's Palace exit, leaving Spurs short in attacking options.
The January transfer window's significance has become even more important now for Frank if he is to come through this Spurs storm.
Opta facts: Frank already matches Ange's Spurs draw record
- Tottenham have drawn six of their 20 Premier League matches under Thomas Frank this season (W7 L7), as many stalemates as Spurs endured across their final 53 league games under Ange Postecoglou (W18 L29).
- Sunderland are unbeaten in their last five games in the Premier League (W1 D4), drawing each of their last four. It is the Black Cats’ longest run without defeat in the top flight since a streak of six under Sam Allardyce in April/May 2016.
- Tottenham are just the second side to score 10+ times from corners in the Premier League this season (after Arsenal, 11), while Spurs have already matched their tally from the entirety of last campaign (10).
- Aged 32 years 255 days, Ben Davies is the oldest defender to score in the Premier League for Tottenham since William Gallas vs Chelsea in October 2012 (35y 64d).
