Sunderland will host Tottenham Hotspur at the Stadium of Light on Sunday, with the away side desperate for a win after dropping into the relegation zone.
Regis Le Bris’s men have enjoyed an impressive season after securing promotion to the Premier League, and finishing in the top half would be an outstanding achievement for them. Sunderland will fancy their chances vs a struggling Tottenham team, and it remains to be seen whether the players can step up and produce a strong performance here.
On the other hand, Tottenham are coming into this game on the back of five defeats from their last six Premier League matches. The North London outfit are 18th in the league table, and no one would have expected them to be in the relegation zone in the middle of April.
However, Spurs have brought in a new manager in Roberto De Zerbi after sacking Igor Tudor, and they will be desperate to bounce back strongly. It remains to be seen whether they can pick up a win and get out of the bottom three.
Team News & Tactics
Sunderland
Simon Moore (wrist), Romaine Mundle (thigh), Bertrand Traore (knee), and Jocelin Ta Bi (ankle) are ruled out for the home side. Daniel Ballard and Nilson Angulo are doubtful. However, there is some good news, as Robin Roefs is fit and available to take on Tottenham Hotspur.
Sunderland will start in a 4-3-3 formation vs Tottenham Hotspur, with Robin Roefs in goal. Lutsharel Geertruida and Arthur Masuaku will start as the full-backs. They will look to help out at both ends of the pitch. Meanwhile, Nordi Mukiele will start alongside Omar Alderete at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Chris Rigg will add creativity and control alongside Granit Xhaka and Noah Sadiki in the middle of the park. They will aim to hold the fort in the central areas, hoping to keep Tottenham quiet.
Enzo Le Fee and Chemsdine Talbi will start on the flanks and aim to add pace, flair, and goals from the wide areas. Finally, Wilson Isidor will spearhead the Sunderland attack vs Tottenham on Sunday.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Roefs; Geertruida, Alderete, Mukiele, Masuaku; Sadiki, Xhaka, Rigg; Talbi, Isidor, Le Fee
Tottenham Hotspur
James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski are unavailable due to their long-term knee injuries. Ben Davies, Yves Bissouma, Mohammed Kudus, Wilson Odobert, and Rodrigo Bentancur are also ruled out. Guglielmo Vicario misses out with a groin injury. Meanwhile, Mathys Tel and Pape Matar Sarr will be assessed closer to kick-off.
Tottenham Hotspur will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Sunderland, with Antonin Kinsky in goal. Pedro Porro and Djed Spence will start as the full-backs. They will look to help out defensively and contribute in the final third as well. Meanwhile, Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven will start in central defence.
As for the midfield unit, Conor Gallagher will add defensive cover and physicality alongside Joao Palhinha. They will look to keep things tight in the middle of the park. Xavi Simons will reprise the attacking midfield role, looking to link the midfield to the attack.
Richarlison and Randal Kolo Muani will add pace, flair, and unpredictability from the flanks. Finally, Dominic Solanke will lead the line for Tottenham Hotspur vs Sunderland at the Stadium of Light this weekend.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Kinsky; Porro, Romero, van de Ven, Spence; Palhinha, Gallagher; Kolo Muani, Simons, Richarlison; Solanke
Key Stats
- Tottenham have conceded at least two goals in ten of their last 11 matches in the Premier League.
- Tottenham have failed to win a single league match in the last six matches.
- Sunderland have picked up two wins from the last six Premier League matches.
- Tottenham are unbeaten in their last six matches against Sunderland.
- Only Leeds (35.1%) have scored a higher proportion of their Premier League goals this season from non-penalty set-plays than Tottenham Hotspur (35.0% – 14/40), while only Wolves (11%) and Brentford (16.7%) have seen a lower share of their goals conceded come from non-penalty set-pieces than Spurs (18.0% – 9/50).
Player to Watch
Granit Xhaka
The Sunderland midfielder is our key player to watch out for. Xhaka has been excellent for the Black Cats in the Premier League this season, and he will look to create opportunities for his teammates with his impressive passing range. The veteran midfielder will also look to control the game from the middle of the park.
Tottenham have been quite mediocre in the middle of the park, and the Swiss international could get the opportunity to stamp his authority on the game. Sunderland will depend on his quality and leadership skills to guide them to an important result here.
Prediction
Sunderland 1-1 Tottenham Hotspur
Both teams will look to pick up all three points here, and this is likely to be a cracking contest. On paper, Tottenham are the better team, but they are struggling with a lack of confidence and form right now.
Sunderland managed to pick up a win in their last Premier League game against Newcastle United, and the win in the Derby will have given them a huge confidence boost. The Black Cats will now look to finish the season strongly and put up a strong performance here. Both teams are likely to cancel each other out in a draw.