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Tottenham predicted lineup to play Sunderland as Kudus and Richarlison dropped

Originally posted on To The Lane And Back
By Rohan Sengupta | Last updated Jan 2, 2026 9:21 AM ET

Here is how Tottenham could line up against Sunderland at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Bidding to pick up their first win of 2026, Tottenham Hotspur welcome Sunderland to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday in the Premier League.

Spurs are 12th in the Premier League table, boasting 26 points from their first 19 matches of the season. They wasted a chance to build on the Crystal Palace victory by drawing 0-0 with Brentford away on New Year’s Day. It was another meek, uninspiring show put in by Thomas Frank’s side, which did not go down well with the travelling fans on Thursday evening.

Nonetheless, it was a valuable point at the Gtech Community Stadium, which has witnessed clubs like Liverpool and Manchester United comfortably beaten by Keith Andrews’ side this season. Thomas Frank will want his boys to improve and deliver a better display at home against Sunderland, who travel to north London on the back of a credible 0-0 draw with Manchester City.

That said, here is how Tottenham could line up against Sunderland.

Goalkeeper: Guglielmo Vicario

Back-to-back clean sheets should give goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario a lot of confidence. He made a couple of smart saves against Brentford in midweek, especially the Vitaly Janelt header in the second half. The Italian will be eyeing a third shutout in a row when Sunderland visits Spurs.

Defence: Pedro Porro, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Djed Spence

The back four is expected to remain intact after such a resilient defensive display against Brentford. Cristian Romero’s return from suspension was key in Spurs keeping a clean sheet at the Gtech Community Stadium, with the Argentine marshalling his troops very well. His centre-back partner, Micky van de Ven was fantastic as well, as they nullified Igor Thiago’s threat.

Full-backs Pedro Porro and Djed Spence deserve a lot of credit, too, for their contributions. On Sunday, though, they will be expected to be more adventurous and creative going forward.

Midfield: Joao Palhinha, Archie Gray, Rodrigo Bentancur

The inclusion of Joao Palhinha in the first XI saw him provide extra security to the Tottenham defence against Brentford. Him and Rodrigo Bentancur did their jobs and their presence at the base pushed Archie Gray into the No.10 role. While the Lilywhites’ midfielders lacked incisiveness in their passing to breach the Brentford backline, they toiled hard and helped to keep a clean sheet.

With Xavi Simons still suspended and Lucas Bergvall unsure of returning, Frank might be tempted to stick with the same midfield troika against Regis Le Bris’ side.

Attack: Randal Kolo Muani, Mathys Tel, Wilson Odobert

Once again, Tottenham were poor going forward. There was a lack of creative spark and imagination from the midfielders and wingers to unlock the Brentford defence. Mohammed Kudus, in particular, looked leggy and devoid of ideas, with the hosts nullifying the Ghanaian’s threat. Richarlison had no service whatsoever up top, leading to him feeding off the scraps.

In a bid to manage Richarlison and Kudus’ fitness levels, Frank may decide to ring changes in attack and freshen things up by handing Mathys Tel and Randal Kolo Muani starts vs. Sunderland. Tel could occupy the left-wing spot, with Kolo Muani leading the Tottenham attack. Wilson Odobert is expected to retain his place in the XI but is tasked to operate from the right flank.

This article first appeared on To The Lane And Back and was syndicated with permission.

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