Brian Brobbey's 80th-minute equaliser earned Sunderland a 1-1 draw at Tottenham, prompting boos from the home fans at full-time. Ben Davies had given Spurs a first-half lead, but Thomas Frank's side failed to capitalise on their dominance, leaving the head coach to lament his team's lack of a cutting edge.
Frank defended the sale of Brennan Johnson to Crystal Palace for £35m, which weakened his forward options, especially after Mohammed Kudus was forced off with a muscle injury before the 20th minute. With Xavi Simons serving a suspension, Spurs lacked attacking depth, and Frank admitted: 'The big headline is: we didn't score the 2-0 goal. You can't rely on, in the Premier League, just to win 1-0.'
Sunderland, missing six players at the Africa Cup of Nations, named an unchanged side from their draw with Manchester City. Manager Régis Le Bris praised his team's resilience, acknowledging they were 'a bit lucky' that Spurs were not clinical. Enzo Le Fée was instrumental in the visitors' revival, hitting the post before creating the equaliser.
Tottenham took the lead from a corner when Cristian Romero headed the ball back for Micky van de Ven, whose shot was turned in by Davies for his first club goal in over two years. Sunderland improved after the break, and Brobbey combined with Le Fée on the edge of the box before firing a first-time shot past Guglielmo Vicario to level.
Spurs remain in seventh place, while Sunderland sit eighth on 30 points. Le Bris reiterated that their primary target is 40 points and survival, despite their lofty league position. Frank, meanwhile, faces growing scrutiny as his side's lack of firepower continues to cost them points.
