Daily Mail

The now familiar chorus of boos washed down from the stands and echoed around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as Thomas Frank’s team extended their disappointing home form into another year.

Hopes that a fresh start might sweep into N17 with 2026 was shot down by Sunderland’s impressive fightback as tempers frayed in an irritable second half.

Spurs overcame the blow of an injury for Mohammed Kudus to lead at the interval and Frank bemoaned their inability to find a second when on top but they failed to keep the Wearsiders at bay.

The boos might have been harsh on the day but can be explained by such a miserable sequence of home form over time and a general lack of goalmouth action.

Another two points dropped leaves Spurs languishing in 13th and albeit only four points from fifth, they seem unable to seize the chance to climb back up the table.

Daily Mail Sport's Matt Barlow was in north London to witness all the action...

An unlikely goal hero

Ben Davies scored his first goal for more than two years on his first start of the season. Davies came in to supply solidity behind Mathys Tel on the left and hit Richarlison with long passes with his left foot.

There were early signs that his inclusion might free Pedro Porro to get forward on the opposite flank and maximise Porro’s excellent delivery, but it was a surprise when the Welshman emerged with fist raised in triumph, scorer of the opening goal.

It came from a corner poorly defended by Sunderland. Cristian Romero had time to bring it down on his chest and pick out Micky van de Ven, whose low shot was diverted into the net by Davies.

Only his eighth Premier League goal in 11-and-a-half years at Spurs, and the 10th of this Premier League campaign from a set piece for Frank’s team. Both Davies and Tel faded as the game went one, however, as might have been expected.

Sunderland were most effective from that side of the pitch as they fought back.

Hindsight a beautiful thing…

If there was one player Frank did not want to see limp off injured after selling Johnson to Crystal Palace it would have been Kudus.

The summer arrival of Kudus for £55million from West Ham effectively ended Johnson’s Spurs career, and it made sense for him to move on, but this game was just 18 minutes old when Kudus sank onto the turf.

The medics came on and prodded at the thigh muscle of his left leg before they walked him off.

'Hopefully the decisions make more sense further down the line,' said Frank. 'Now was the opportunity to sell a player, something the club hasn’t been that good at in the past.

'Sometimes that window can be small. Sometimes it can look like perfect timing. Sometimes not perfect. Sometimes you can’t delay them.'

MATCH FACTS

Spurs (4-2-3-1): Vicario 6; Porro 7, Romero 6, Van de Ven 7.5, Davies 7 (Spence 88); Gray 5.5 (Palhinha 72, 6.5), Bentancur 6; Kudus 5 (Kolo Muani 19, 6), Odobert 6 (Bergvall 72, 5), Tel 6 (Scarlett 88); Richarlison 6.

Subs: Kinsky, Dragusin, Danso, Williams-Barnett

Goals: Davies 30

Bookings: Bentancur, Palhinha

Manager: Thomas Frank 6

Sunderland (4-2-3-1): Roefs 6; Geertruida 6.5, Mukiele 7, Alderete 7.5, Cirkin 5.5 (Mundle 59, 6); Xhaka 7; Le Fee 8; Hume 7.5, Mayenda 6.5 (Rigg 82), Adringra 6 (Ballard 66, 6); Brobbey 7.

Subs: Patterson, Neil, Rigg, O’Nien, Hjelde, Jones, Tutierov

Goals: Brobbey 80

Bookings: Cirkin, Alderete, Le Fee

Manager: Regis Le Bris 6.5

Ref: Stuart Attwell 6

Att: 60,877

Rare chance for Tel

This was a rare chance for Tel for to make his case on a first start since October. Playing off the left with Wilson Odobert at number 10 role behind Richarlison, Tel had plenty of early touches, forced a save and curled a shot narrowly wide.

But after the Kudus injury, it left Spurs playing with a trio of forwards with only two Premier League goals between them this season, in support of the centre forward Richarilson.

Perhaps it should be no surprise they were not clinical enough to convert the second despite several promising opportunities on the break. Tel and Odobert both became less influential when Sunderland came out in physical mood for the second half.

Frank’s dearth of attacking alternatives were laid bare at the end when he sent on the lesser spotted Dane Scarlett, 21, and finished the game with centre half Romero roaming up front, once again.

Regis Le Draw

Sunderland were passive in the first half. They barely had a touch in the Spurs penalty box, before something fired them up in the second half.

They fought their way into the game, unafraid to leave some physical contact on various opponents and Rodrigo Bentancur was drawn into a running squabble with Lutsharel Geertruida, which flared up again after the final whistle.

It made for a better contest. Spurs resisted and flickered on the break, but the visitors summoned an unstoppable wave of momentum.

Guglielmo Vicario saved from Eliezer Mayenda and was grateful to Davies for a clearance after the ‘keeper misjudged a cross. Brobbey slammed a shot into the side netting after a carelessness by Romero and Enzo Le Fee headed against the post.

Ultimately, Spurs could not cling on for their third clean sheet in eight days. Sunderland were worth the equaliser, fired by Brobbey from a sweet pass by Le Fee in the 80th minute.

A goal to secure their fourth successive draw and keep them above Newcastle in eighth. On 30 points they are probably close to safety. 'We need 10 more,' said Le Bris. 'Time to move on and ride the wave.'

Thomas Frank responded to a chorus of boos from Tottenham supporters after a goalless draw at Brentford with a promise to make his team more fluent and more prolific.

The Spurs boss accepted the dissent from the away end after the final whistle and asked them to appreciate the value of a clean sheet against the Bees, who have taken points from Aston Villa, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United and Newcastle at the Gtech Community Stadium and scored four on their previous outing against Bournemouth.

Frank said: 'They were not too satisfied and it's fair when we don't hit that top performance overall, but I think it's double-sided because we need to acknowledge the defensive side of the game, which we've done excellent today against a team that scored three against Liverpool and Man United.

'If you as a team are not strong defensively it's just impossible to compete over a long season. Impossible if you want to end in the nice position you would like to end in.

'But of course the offensive part needs to be better. There's no two ways about that. I'm very aware that we are not where I want us to be. Very aware.

'It's not that we don't want to play offensive or attacking football. We work very, very hard on that, but while you work hard on that you can't, if you struggle scoring goals or creating enough chances, you can't open up too much because then you need to score too many goals. It's a fine balance.'

Frank added: 'I would prefer if everyone was happy and we are winning 3-0. I am confident we will make it fluent and better and scoring enough goals.'

He pointed to the limited time to work on offensive structure and missing key creative players, including Xavi Simons who is serving a three-match ban and Lucas Bergvall who was injured on Sunday at Crystal Palace.

Brennan Johnson was also missing having agreed a £35million move to Palace.

Frank said: 'It's fair to say Lucas and Xavi will hopefully soon be back and also (Dominic) Solanke at some stage. He is out on the pitch and part-training with the group. There's a possibility he could be back this month. And we are in the market, looking to improve the squad but the January window is difficult and we need to be calm.'

Brentford boss Keith Andrews thought his team deserved to win and thought Spurs captain Cristian Romero should have been sent off for a last-man tackle on Igor Thiago.

Andrews said: 'I've had a very clear look at it. I thought it was a red card. What makes it even more frustrating is he should have had a red card in the first game, 26 days ago, when he scissored Thiago from behind, which was a dangerous tackle. I felt Spurs were very lucky with that today.'

Follow Daily Mail Sport's live blog for the latest score, team news and updates as Sunderland host Manchester City at the Stadium of Light in the Premier League plus Brentford vs Tottenham, with Craig Hope and Matt Barlow reporting from the grounds.

Brennan Johnson will undergo the first part of his medical tonight ahead of agreeing to join Crystal Palace from Tottenham in a deal worth £35million.

The Wales international held positive talks with Palace manager Oliver Glasner on Thursday after being given permission by Tottenham and was convinced of the project despite an initial reservation about the move.

Palace hope his transfer can be registered upon completion of his medical on Friday in time for him to face Newcastle on Sunday.

Daily Mail Sport revealed on Monday how Palace had accelerated talks and agreed a £35m fee with Tottenham having made the 24-year-old the club’s priority target for the window.

Palace moved after learning that Tottenham were surprisingly open to selling Johnson, who was their leading scorer last season with 18 goals.

Johnson scored the winning goal for Spurs in their Europa League final triumph over Manchester United in Bilbao in May.

He signed for Tottenham from Nottingham Forest for £47.5m in September 2023.

Tottenham are exploring a number of deals for forwards and have asked about Yan Diomande at RB Leipzig who is being monitored by Manchester United also.

Roma are the latest Serie A club to show interest in Radu Dragusin and the fit-again Romania centre-half is planning talks with Tottenham to clarify his future.

The 23-year-old made his Spurs return as a late substitute at Crystal Palace on Sunday, after building up fitness with the Under-21s before his return from 11 months out with a cruciate knee ligament injury.

In his absence, Dragusin has slipped behind Kevin Danso as well as first-choice central defenders Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven in Thomas Frank’s plans.

Croatian teenager Luka Vuskovic, meanwhile, continues to impress on loan at Hamburg in the German Bundesliga.

Dragusin is concerned that if he stays on the sidelines for the rest of the season, he will start next season in competition with these four players, having played very little football in 20 months.

He wants to play regularly but his agent Florin Manea has told Romanian media outlets Spurs have made it clear they do not want him to go out on loan but that there will be a conversation about the best way forward.

Dragusin joined Spurs for £27million from Genoa in January 2024 and is still very highly rated in Italy.

Marco Ottolini, the Genoa sporting director who signed Dragusin from Juventus for £7m and sold him to Spurs for a £20m profit, is now moving to the same role at Juventus.

Inter Milan, managed by Romanian Cristian Chivu, have been linked and reports in Italy claim Roma boss Gian Piero Gasperini is considering Dragusin and Axel Disasi of Chelsea among the options for defensive reinforcements.

Spurs might not be keen to loan him out but could be tempted by a permanent deal as they look to reshape and rebalance the squad.

Meanwhile, Spurs have accepted an offer of £35million with Palace for winger Brennan Johnson if he agrees to a move.

They accept they must be better at selling those who might not be part of their plans at a time when their value is strong, and Frank said: 'I think that’s key. It’s not only doing one thing right, playing a specific way or getting the culture right or whatever, there’s a lot of elements that we need to do well to be able to compete at the highest level.

'Part of it is being able to sell. You see the other top clubs, they are quite good at selling. That’s something we need to be improving. That’s something I know the guys above me are working very hard on. Everything’s linked.'

Tottenham will recall Jamie Donley and Damola Ajayi from their respective loan spells at Stoke and Doncaster in search of more game time.

Donley, 20, has not started a Championship game for Stoke all season and not appeared since October.

The Northern Ireland international enjoyed a successful spell at Leyton Orient last season, impressing against Manchester City in the FA Cup when his brilliant long-range effort bounced into the net via the bar and City goalkeeper Stefan Ortega to give the League One side the lead.

He looked ready to make the step up in class but has failed to make an impact for Mark Robins at Stoke and the Spurs development team are keen to bring him back and look for another move.

His availability will alert other Championship clubs and those at the top of League One and create room for Stoke to replace him.

Winger Ajayi, 20, has made 19 appearances for Doncaster including one against Spurs in the Carabao Cup but has only started once in League One.

With his team is an alarming decline since losing that cup tie at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Rovers boss Grant McCann is seeking to make changes in January.

Spurs will look for another move for Ajayi.

Brennan Johnson's place in Tottenham folklore is secure. It will always be his goal, untidy though it may have been, scrambled inside the near post with a scrape of his studs, that won the Europa League in Bilbao.

He will always be 'Johnson again, ole, ole' to the Spurs fans on account of that strike in the San Mames, his 18th in a prolific season and one to silence some of the sniggering at the back of the room.

It was Johnson who brought the 17-year major trophy drought to a close in N17 by toppling Manchester United in May in the Spanish Basque region and end a long wait of four decades without European success.

Who would have thought then that before the year was out, the Spurs board would have agreed a fee for him to join Crystal Palace.

The deal is not completed. The window is not formally open until New Year's Day and Thomas Frank says he trained fully on Tuesday and is available if selected against Brentford on Thursday.

But Spurs, having won 1-0 at Palace on Sunday, have accepted an offer and the next move is down to Johnson.

Other clubs are interested, including Bournemouth and maybe this is designed to flush out others, such as Aston Villa and Everton, but the fact is Johnson can go for £10m less than they paid Nottingham Forest two-and-a-half years ago.

And while it is a bold decision to cast another reliable goal source aside so soon after Son Heung-min's exit to LAFC in the summer and with Spurs short of goals from open play there is logic to it.

Firstly, Johnson cannot get in Frank's team. Mohamed Kudus is a fixture on the right wing, freshly signed for £55m from West Ham.

Johnson is not going to displace him despite scoring four to Kudus's three goals in all competitions.

Playing on the left, Johnson simply does not carry the same threat so as Frank settles upon a preferred line up he is on the bench. He has appeared in all but two of the 18 Premier League games this season but started only six. And when injured players including Dejan Kulusevski return he will be further from starting.

Kudus, Kulusevski and Johnson all want to play on the right, and nobody has made the left wing their own since Son.

At 24, Johnson probably wants to play more regularly, and Frank must sell to create not only funds to reinvest but space within the squad if he is to strengthen it.

Spurs have sold badly in recent years. From Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso to Ryan Sessesgnon there are many examples of players signed for huge fees who have left for very little.

If Johnson leaves for £35m he will be the club's third biggest sale in 10 years, behind Harry Kane and Kyle Walker.

'That's key,' said Frank, on the matter of selling. 'It's not only doing one thing right, playing a specific way or getting the culture right or whatever, there's a lot of elements we need to do well to be able to compete at the highest level.

'Part of it is being able to sell. You see the other top clubs, they are quite good at selling. That's something we need to be improving. That's something I know the guys above me are working very hard on. Everything's linked.'

Johnson might not be the last. There is interest from Juventus and other Italian clubs in Radu Dragusin, who returned after 11 months out with a serious knee injury in the win at Palace on Sunday. Spurs would like to sell Yves Bissouma if they can find a buyer.

Frank hopes it will help him revive and rebalance his squad as he prepares to go into the market in January, when the main priority will be a wide attacker who can play on the left.

Spurs ended a unique year with a unique goalscorer as Archie Gray grabbed his first senior goal to earn a 1-0 win at Crystal Palace.

In the Premier League it's been a year to forget - to say the least - but 2025 also ended with a trophy (at last), a new manager (another one) and a new hierarchy (for the first time since 2001) as the Daniel Levy Era came to a close.

But for all the struggles at home, Spurs are just four points off a potential Champions League return next season, have made a decent showing in that competition so far this campaign and have their best creative force, Dejan Kulusevski, on the way back.

And with January in sight and a new team at the top to possibly release the shackles of recent years, this could be the month Spurs resolve their problems of 2025. Here, our expert in N17 MATT BARLOW reveals everything you need to know.

The priority is a left-sided attacker. Neither Wilson Odobert nor Mathys Tel have made this position their own in five months since Son Heung-min's exit, while neither Richarlison nor Randal Kolo Muani are natural wide men, and Brennan Johnson does not produce from the left as he does from the right.

Hence their part in the scramble for Antoine Semenyo but if Spurs engage with their Big Six rivals in the transfer market they are unlikely to win - the Bournemouth winger is most likely off to Manchester City, and failing that Liverpool.

Others pay more and others win more. Nevertheless, a forward who can contribute goals from the left is the best short-term fix available.

Beyond that, there is scope to upgrade at centre forward, depending on how they see the fitness of Dominic Solanke, in central midfield and in goal. Another left back wouldn’t go amiss and they are on the search for an elite goalkeeper but much of this will be best tackled in the summer.

Yes, there is money and FFP headroom and the Lewis family insist they are ambitious to build success on the pitch and not looking to simply plump the club and sell it.

There are some with doubts about this. But we are about to find out. It is the first window post Daniel Levy so there will be clues to ambition - let's see if they can compete seriously for the in-demand movers, but the January market can be difficult.

CEO Vinai Venkatesham will drive the strategy with co-sporting director Johan Lange and head coach Thomas Frank, and Spurs are not helped by uncertainty swirling around Fabio Paratici, the other co sporting director who appears set to thank Spurs for their loyalty during his global ban from football by swanning off to Fiorentina.

Paratici is valued for his network of contacts at the big European clubs and his deal-making skills so to lose him at the start of the transfer window would not bode well. And probably means some energy would be devoted to finding a heavyweight recruitment expert. He’s still in position for the time being and was in the stands at Crystal Palace on Sunday.

Semenyo looks set for elsewhere, be it Manchester City or Liverpool. It is a reality check for those who think Spurs can just go out and sign whoever they want.

RB Leipzig’s teenage winger Yan Diomande, currently at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) with Ivory Coast, is another exciting talent they have interest in. Diomande is in his first year in Germany and is both expensive and unlikely to move mid-season, but has the profile of age and experience all the Premier League heavyweights are prepared to spend big on. He will be on the list of all those disappointed by Semenyo.

As will Turkish 20-year-old Kenan Yildiz of Juventus, another highly rated wide forward who is attracting attention with agent Jorge Mendes busily creating a market.

If City land a winger in January, it could revive Tottenham’s interest in Savinho, who has signed a new contract but remains on the fringes of Pep Guardiola’s team with only four Premier League starts this season.

There is still interest in versatile attacking midfielder Maghnes Akliouche of Monaco. Akliouche was on the Spurs list of options in the summer and excelled against them in the Champions League.

Mohamed Kudus has flickered. Bursts of quality and six assists without launching the team to a higher level, and only three goals in 23 games.

It is goals Spurs need since losing James Maddison, Solanke and Dejan Kulusevski to injuries, Johnson displaced by Kudus and Son sold.

Joao Palhinha, on loan from Bayern, has been effective especially in games against strong opponents requiring extra midfield muscle and ball winning craft. In those games when Spurs dominate possession, Palhinha has been less vital, and Rodrigo Bentancur and Archie Gray have become Frank’s preferred pair in central midfield in recent weeks.

Kolo Muani, on loan from PSG, has underwhelmed in a season disrupted initially by lack of sharpness and then niggling injuries. Xavi Simons has taken time to adjust and produced a couple of promising displays in the No 10 role before collecting a three-match ban for a red card against Liverpool so is yet to make a significant impact.

Spurs accept they must be better at selling. Step one appears close, with Crystal Palace closing in on a £35m move for Europa League final hero Brennan Johnson, whose direct style and pace would suit the way the Eagles play.

Yves Bissouma is available just as he was last summer when there were no takers. Interest from Turkey failed to develop and there was a suggestion from the player’s camp that he was settled in London and wanted to stay in the Premier League. His disciplinary lapses and injuries mean he is unlikely to generate much interest.

Bissouma, now at AFCON with Mali, is out of contract at the end of the season but Spurs hold an option to extend for one more year which they plan to trigger if they do not sell in January, in order to preserve his value and make sure they can demand a fee in the summer.

Depending on fitness there are others who might benefit from a loan move out to get minutes, including Radu Dragusin, the Romania centre half just back from a serious knee injury.

There is a lot of interest from Italy in a loan for Dragusin, including Juventus where Marco Ottolini is the new sporting director. Ottolini joins from Genoa where he turned a £20million profit on Dragusin, signing him from Juventus and selling him to Spurs. But he is the type of defender, strong, mobile and good in the air, who will appeal to Frank and he will want strong cover in central defence.

Kota Takai, the 21-year-old Japan international centre half, who has spent the first half of his first season at Spurs injured is another who could benefit from a loan, if Dragusin stays as cover.

Then there’s the situation with the goalkeeper. Guglielmo Vicario will have takers in Italy if Spurs find a suitable upgrade, but with a few moving parts it might be one for the summer window.

Crystal Palace are pushing to get a deal done early for Tottenham forward Brennan Johnson.

Palace are discussing an offer of around £35million for the Wales international who is understood to be frustrated at his lack of starting opportunities under Thomas Frank this season but is in no particular rush to leave.

Frank declared last week that Johnson was still important to his squad and plans going forward but Tottenham are looking for other attacking options and may consider substantial offers to offset their spending elsewhere.

Bournemouth have also shown tentative interest in Johnson but have also discussed Leicester City's Abdul Fatawu as they seek replacements for Antoine Semenyo.

The 24-year-old is also admired by the likes of Everton and Aston Villa but those clubs may not be ready to move until the summer.

Palace are looking to strengthen Oliver Glasner's hand as the coach looks to kick on after a disappointing dip in results, but the Austrian is increasingly unlikely to commit to extending his time at Selhurst Park come the end of the season.

They are also willing to rival West Ham for Jorgen Strand Larsen at Wolves and have posted interest in Manchester City's Oscar Bobb who also has Borussia Dortmund, Tottenham and Fulham among his admirers.

Palace also like Auxerre midfielder Kevin Danois who has been watched by Newcastle United.

Defender Marc Guehi is expected to see out the season with Liverpool still favourites to secure his signature in the summer.

Right guys, it's time for me dash.

Both Crystal Palace and Tottenham came into this afternoon desperate for a win, and well, the visitors came and ripped it away from the Eagles.

They found the net three times on the night, but only Archie Gray's header from three yards out would count. That's all they needed, though, as a pitiful Palace never really looked like hitting back.

That's now the end of the festive feast, and we now turn our attention to the New Year's madness coming our way.

Thank you for joining this evening. I will see you all very soon.

Who'd have thought it, eh?

I didn't think Tottenham were going to win today, but even if I had predicted it, there is no way I would have thought Archie Gray would score the winner.

But here we are, after the match, and Gray did just that... score the winner.

Gray, who is 19 years of age, is the youngest Englishman to score for Tottenham in the Premier League since Dele Alli in January 2016 (19y 287d - also v Crystal Palace).

A huge moment for the lad.

Crystal Palace has sincerely lost their momentum.

This is the worst we have seen them play, both performance and results-wise, since Oliver Glasner took charge.

In fact, they have lost three consecutive Premier League games for the first time since October 2024.

It's also the first time they’ve lost three successive league matches at Selhurst Park since December 2023 (a run of four, which began with defeat to Spurs).

Not a good end to the year...

Boy, oh boy, did Tottenham need that.

It has been a hanging few weeks for Spurs, winning just one league game of their last eight.

It was imperative they came here and got three points, and well, that is what they have done.

It wasn't pretty, but it didn't need to be.

It's a win that will take the pressure off of Thomas Frank, and he will be hoping they can build on it.

Selhurst Park is not an easy place to come, so kudos to them.