TEAM NEWS

Tottenham have reported no new injury concerns following Wednesday's defeat at home to Leicester.

Mousa Dembele could start after making his comeback from injury as a substitute in midweek, but Ryan Mason remains out with an ankle injury.

Dame N'Doye is not yet available for Sunderland as he awaits a work visa after joining on loan from Trabzonspor.

Full-back DeAndre Yedlin is on loan from Spurs and therefore ineligible to face his parent club.

MOTD COMMENTATOR'S NOTES

Simon Brotherton: "This game suddenly doesn't look quite so predictable as it might have done a couple of weeks ago.

"Following the midweek defeat by Leicester, Tottenham have now lost two of their last three at home in the league at a time when struggling Sunderland have come to life.

"Spurs fans know all about Jermain Defoe, who returns to White Hart Lane with five goals in two matches, including a hat-trick at Swansea - his first in the league since netting five for Spurs against Wigan in 2009.

"If the former England striker can maintain his form, he could be the key factor in keeping Sunderland up.

"Harry Kane is just as important for Tottenham at the other end of the table but, good as he is, they surely need more than one top quality striker to share the load."

Twitter: @SimonBrotherton 

WHAT THE MANAGERS SAY

Tottenham head coach Mauricio Pochettino: "We need to improve in all areas and all aspects.

"For me football is about a lot of things, not only one, because it's a collective effort, collective game. It's impossible to speak of only one thing."

Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce: "Right when they [Tottenham] needed to be resilient or hold on to the result they got, they didn't quite do it and that can be because of that lack of experience of what you need to do to win a title.

"But I think their main aim would be to finish in the Champions League and if the title came around, that would be one of those seasons they dream about."

LAWRO'S PREDICTION

Sunderland got a great win at relegation rivals Swansea and will be buoyed by that, but the last thing they needed was for Spurs to be beaten by the Foxes because I think we will see a reaction to that defeat from Mauricio Pochettino's men.

Prediction: 2-0

Lawro's full predictions v Creed stars Jordan & Bellew

• Think you can do better than Lawro? Predict the score for this match and the rest of this round's Premier League fixtures in our Predictor game.

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

• Tottenham are undefeated in their last 11 league games against Sunderland (W8, D3).
• However, the scores have been level at half-time in 10 of those 11 matches, with Sunderland ahead in the other.
• Sunderland's last win against Spurs was a 3-1 home victory in April 2010.

Tottenham Hotspur

• After going unbeaten in their first eight home league games this season, Spurs have lost two of their last three top-flight matches at White Hart Lane.
• Spurs have won just four of their last 10 league matches (D4, L2).
• Christian Eriksen has scored in all three of his Premier League appearances against the Black Cats.

Sunderland

• Victory would see Sunderland begin the new year with three successive top-flight wins for the first time since 1950.
• They could win back-to-back away games in the Premier League for the first time since 2014, when they beat Chelsea in April and Manchester United in May.
• Sunderland have scored seven goals in their last two league games, compared to just six in their previous eight.
• Jermain Defoe has scored five times in his last two Premier League games - as many as he did in his previous 22 appearances.
• Defoe could score in three successive league games for the first time since March 2008 (whilst at Portsmouth).