Premier League 

TOTTENHAM 1 (Davies 30) 
SUNDERLAND 1 (Brobbey 80)

ANOTHER home game without a victory in a horrendous, months-long trough – but Thomas Frank insists that Tottenham’s one-all draw with Sunderland showed genuine signs of a spring improvement.

A rare start for Ben Davies saw the club’s longest-serving player give Spurs the lead on 30 minutes, but a Brian Brobbey effort with 80 minutes on the clock was enough to earn Regis Le Bris’s side a share of the points.

Speaking afterwards, Frank said he was “a little disappointed” not to have secured a morale-boosting home win – there have only been two so far this term – and acknowledged Tottenham were fatigued, with players such as Xavi Simons and Pape Matar Sarr unavailable alongside long-term absentees Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke.

Frank was forced into an early substitution on 10, when Mohammed Kudus was forced off with a thigh injury. He said: “You can say that if we had Xavi Simons and Mo Kudus, then I think we have enough. But there are just some games where you’re very light and that happens.”

Despite his side’s inability to see a lead out or score a crucial second, Frank said he felt there were signs of improvement. The Tottenham boss explained: “I’m sure everyone could acknowledge, especially the first half, was positive and a step in the right direction, getting in good areas, doing all the right things.

“I’m 100 per cent sure everyone could acknowledge the hard work and the effort from the players. That’s all you can ask for. I think we all are a little bit disappointed that we couldn’t get the three points.”

Spurs started well. Mathys Tel tested keeper Robin Roefs within the opening minute with a long ranger. And Pedro Porro then won the ball high up the pitch and tried an audacious lob from 40 yards. Richarlison also broke through and scuffed an effort when he should have done better, and then was inches away from meeting a Kudus cross at the back stick.

After solid and patient pressure, Spurs won a corner on the half-hour mark. Tel sent it high and deep to the back post. Cristian Romero backed off and had time to bring it down and find Micky van de Ven central, whose stabbed effort goalwards was diverted past Roefs by Davies.

Further chances to extend their lead came and went as Tottenham threw themselves into a much more positive performance than the home fans had endured in recent weeks. Richarlison failed to connect when he launched himself at a volley and Tel fired a curler just wide.

The home side came out in the second half hoping to weather some pressure from Sunderland and then ask questions on the break. They had moments to get a crucial second, but looked increasingly hurried and tired where clinical calmness was required.

As Tottenham sat deeper and deeper, the chances began to pile up for Sunderland. And on 79, Enzo Le Fee headed against the post before helping to create a deserved equaliser in the next passage of play. Nordi Mukiele, Brobbey and Le Fee combined resulting in Sunderland striker Brobbey bashing a shot home.

Tottenham: Vicario, van de Ven, Romero, Davies (Spence, 87), Porro, Bentancur, Gray (Palhinha, 71) Odobert (Bergvall, 71), Tel (Scarlett, 87), Kudus (Kolo Muani, 18), Richarlison
Substitutes not used: Kinsky, Dragusin, Danso, Williams-Barnett

Sunderland: Roefs, Cirkin (Mundle, 58), Geertruida, Brobbey, Mayenda (Rigg, 80) Alderete, Mukiele, Adingra (Ballard, 66), Le Fee, Hume, Xhaka
Substitutes not used: Patterson, Neil, O’Nien,, Hjelde, Jones, Tutierov.