You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Fulham v Liverpool" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Tottenham v Sunderland", for instance.
Sutton's predictions: Tottenham vs Sunderland published at 11:07 GMT 4 January
11:07 GMT 4 January
I'm not sure if Sunderland will have anything left in the tank after their efforts against Manchester City on Thursday.
It was another example of why they have done so well - they defended brilliantly, but they were dangerous when they got the ball and they could have beaten City too.
Mind you, Tottenham are so drab at the moment that it probably won't matter too much if the Black Cats are low on energy.
Sunderland are always so well-organised at the back, while I don't think Spurs, in an attacking sense, have really clicked this season.
Tottenham will be exhausted as well so I don't see many goals in this one - in fact, I don't see any at all.
A goalless draw is unlikely to cheer the Spurs supporters up much, either.
I know they love getting angry, but they are a fanbase who don't actually seem to know what they want - is it a manager who delivers attractive attacking football, or someone who can set up a team to keep a clean sheet every week?
Tottenham v Sunderland: Key stats and talking pointspublished at 12:50 GMT 3 January
12:50 GMT 3 January
Jordan Butler BBC Sport journalist
Tottenham and Sunderland are experiencing contrasting campaigns but the two clubs are only separated by three points in the Premier League table. BBC Sport examines some key talking points ahead of Sunday's game (15:00 GMT).
New year, same Spurs?
Tottenham's start to 2026 was an amalgamation of their 2025 under head coach Thomas Frank – a 0-0 draw at Brentford represented another point won on the road and another game where they created very few chances.
The result means Spurs have the best away record in the top flight at the halfway stage – with 18 points amassed from 10 games – but it was yet another match where they were toothless in attack for almost the entire 90 minutes.
The performance was greeted with what can best be described as gallows humour from the travelling Spurs contingent, who punctuated the lack of action with songs about fan favourites Dele Alli, Eric Dier and even former manager Martin Jol. They also chanted "Boring, boring Tottenham" and jeered current boss Frank as he approached them at the full-time whistle.
"It's not perfect… we want us to be free-flowing," said Frank in his pre-match press conference on Friday. "We need to do everything we can to put in an attacking, intense, front-footed performance against Sunderland."
Black Cats could change Tottenham's fortunes
Tottenham's home form in 2025 was their worst on record and 11 league defeats in front of their own fans is the most they have ever suffered in a single calendar year.
However, the Lilywhites have an enviable record when it comes to this fixture. They are unbeaten in their previous 14 top-flight meetings with Sunderland since a 3-1 loss at the Stadium of Light in April 2010 and have won 14 of their 16 Premier League home matches against the north-east club (D1, L1).
Another victory this weekend could spark Tottenham's season into life and would go some way to repairing the apparent rift between head coach and fans.
Home and away
Sunderland have lost just two of their past 12 Premier League games and head to north London following a spirited performance in the 0-0 home draw with title-chasing Manchester City.
The Black Cats remain one of only two sides still unbeaten at home in the Premier League this season and they have taken points from all of the league's top three sides at the Stadium of Light. They have also kept seven top-flight clean sheets this season – with four coming at home – which is one fewer than the combined final total of the three promoted teams last term.
The challenge now for head coach Regis Le Bris is to replicate his side's home form on the road.
The goalless draw at Brighton in their previous away outing extended the club's winless away run to four matches (D2, L2) and was the latest example of Sunderland's ineffective away attack.
They have now failed to score in six of their nine Premier League away games and have amassed just four goals from the other three matches, a total only equalled by bottom side Wolves.
Frank on Solanke, 'boring' chants and long-term goalspublished at 16:18 GMT 2 January
16:18 GMT 2 January
Josh Lobley BBC Sport journalist
Tottenham boss Thomas Frank has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Premier League game against Sunderland at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (kick-off 15:00 GMT).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
He was reluctant to give a specific timeframe on Dominic Solanke's return, and said Lucas Bergvall is a doubt for Sunday's match.
When asked about Tottenham's away support chanting "boring" during Thursday's draw against Brentford, Frank gave a long and detailed answer about the current situation with his side.
On what needs to improve offensively: "There is a few things we need to improve on and one of those is losing the ball through unforced errors, which happened 25 times [against Brentford]. I showed those 25 clips to the players today."
He continued: "Football is a game of mistakes. You lose the ball - that happens - but if half of those can be better, it will provide more attacks. There was at least five good counter-attacks [against Brentford] where a better touch could [leave us] three versus three and the game looks more lively and open."
Frank said that "patterns, structure and getting in the right positions" also need to be addressed, which he and his coaching staff take full responsibility for.
When asked what he sees as success this season and beyond: "What I am 100% [sure] will happen is that we are able to score a lot of goals and be much more dominant. With the current situation, where a lot of the top players are out and we are playing a lot of games, it makes it more tricky. We need to manage everything between that with small steps every day."
Stephen: Both teams should pay the fans back their ticket prices. That was rubbish, to be honest.
Sian: To the extent that any team deserved more out of it, we were the better team (especially in the second half). But honestly, for such a drab team, a draw is probably not too unfair of a result.
Nicholas: What a dull affair that was. It seemed both teams were content with a point. Thought Brentford would have had more of a go but they did look tired after the ridiculous amount of games being played in this period. Still, one home loss at the turn of the year is pretty good going.
Spurs fans
Kevin: Probably the worst game of football I've ever watched. It has been proven that Joao Palhinha and Rodrigo Bentancur can't play alongside each other and this was another clear example. Mohammed Kudus has been awful recently - his decision-making is shocking.
Richard: Better performance than the commentators are saying. Plenty of movement and purpose, but both defences were good at harrying attackers and blocking shots.
Will: Yet another poor performance that was really hard to watch, lacking intensity, purpose, game management and a general ability to control and pass the ball. We were clearly set up for a draw, which is what we now seem to do as a team/club with a mid-table mindset. Sad to watch this steady decline over the past few years. We are no longer a top-six team, just a top-six venue.
Analysis: Lacklustre Spurs fail to impress on Frank's returnpublished at 08:00 GMT 2 January
08:00 GMT 2 January
Emily Salley BBC Sport journalist
Image source, Getty Images
Tottenham ended 2025 on a positive note with victory over Crystal Palace on Sunday, but they were unable to start the new year with the same success.
A favourite with Brentford fans, Thomas Frank's failure to put his stamp on this Tottenham team has meant he is yet to win over Spurs' supporters.
Against his former side, Tottenham were second best all over the pitch and lacklustre going forward, while they had limited opportunities in front of goal.
Archie Gray, who scored his first goal for the club in the win against Palace, came closest for Spurs, but his header from close-range was well blocked by Bees skipper Nathan Collins, while Richarlison had a tame effort saved by Caoimhin Kelleher late on.
Spurs' designated forwards offered little in attack and their failure to press efficiently allowed Brentford to take charge of possession.
They were unable to call upon Brennan Johnson, who was left out of the matchday squad after having agreed to join Crystal Palace in a deal worth £35m earlier on Thursday.
Brentford 0-0 Tottenham: What Frank and Palhinha saidpublished at 07:52 GMT 2 January
07:52 GMT 2 January
Media caption,
Thomas Frank spoke to BBC Match of the Day after Tottenham's draw against Brentford: "It was very nice and very special in many, many ways. Very happy with that. It was nice to be back and nice to acknowledge things both ways - and then the whistle goes and it's business and you want to win the game.
On not creating as many chances as he would have liked: "Definitely, we don't create enough. We dealt with half of the challenge here because they are very strong at home. They only gave seven shots away in the whole game - so very happy with that - but we didn't create enough. The amount of unforced errors was too big."
On Romero's tackle on Thiago: "There was that which was a 50/50 with Cristian Romero on Thiago and then there was the 50/50 penalty on Archie Gray. If that was given, it would not be overturned."
On Tottenham's away form being better than their home form: "We understand the different and difficult opponent away from home and it is linked to the amount of chances we can create and will create. We need to continually work on that."
Midfielder Joao Palhinha also spoke to Sky Sports: "It is a fair result. It's not easy playing against a good team in an away game. A second clean sheet in a row in the Premier League is not easy - we need to have credit about that. Offensively, we still need much more than we have been doing."
Did you know?
Tottenham's all-time Premier League record run of 137 games without a goalless draw has come to an end, with this their first 0-0 draw since April 2022, which also came away at Brentford.
Tottenham recall Donley from Stoke loanpublished at 12:31 GMT 1 January
12:31 GMT 1 January
Image source, Getty Images
Tottenham have recalled midfielder Jamie Donley from his loan spell at Championship side Stoke City.
The 20-year-old joined the Potters on 6 August and made an immediate impact, registering an assist on his debut in their 3-1 opening-day win over Derby County three days later.
Donley departs Stoke having made six substitute appearances – four in the league and two in the Carabao Cup.
He made his Northern Ireland debut in March and scored his first international goal in November's win over Luxembourg in World Cup qualifying.
Brentford v Tottenham: Key stats and talking pointspublished at 12:04 GMT 1 January
12:04 GMT 1 January
Paul Birch BBC Sport journalist
On Thursday, Tottenham boss Thomas Frank returns to Gtech Community Stadium for the first time to face former side Brentford.
BBC Sport looks at the key talking points before the fixture.
For Tottenham fans, looking back and reflecting on 2025 must be a hard one to process. Ending their 17-year wait for a trophy with a Europa League triumph provoked delirious scenes, but either side of that epic night in Bilbao, it has been a glum and attritional year with positives at a premium.
Across the past 12 months Spurs managed a measly 11 league wins with both Ange Postecoglou and Thomas Frank struggling to get results. The only ever-present sides to win fewer Premier League points in 2025 than Tottenham's 39 were lowly Wolves (29) and West Ham (34).
Their gritty win over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park at least saw Spurs end the year on a high and maintained their position on top of the Premier League's away form table with 17 points from nine matches.
They lost all four of their Premier League matches in January last season, with their past such win coming against a Brentford side managed by Thomas Frank in 2024.
This is a first return for the Dane to the club he managed with distinction for 278 league games between 2018 and 2025. However, he will put sentiment to one side as he looks to continue Spurs' excellent recent record against his former team.
The Lilywhites secured a 2-0 win in the first 'Thomas Frank Derby' back in early December and are unbeaten in their four Premier League visits to Gtech Community Stadium. Overall, they have lost just one of nine meetings with Brentford since they were promoted to the top-flight.
Bees boosted by excellent home form
While Spurs boast the league's best away record this season, Brentford's home form has been superb under Keith Andrews.
They have lost just one of their nine home games this season (won six, drawn two and it has helped propel them up to ninth in the table. Tipped to struggle following Frank's departure, they are actually two points better off than they were at this stage of last season.
In their thumping 4-1 win over Bournemouth, Kevin Schade became the first player to score a 'perfect' hat-trick this season. A further milestone saw him become the first German player to score two Premier League trebles.
The 24-year-old scored 13 times in the top flight in 2025, more than any other Brentford player and six of them proved to be winning goals.
Who had the best 2025?published at 10:22 GMT 1 January
10:22 GMT 1 January
Nicola Pearson BBC Sport journalist
A normal Premier League season may run from August to May, but what happens if we stop the table now? What if it was only what happened in 2025 that counted?
With the calendar flicking over to 2026, this is the ideal time to check back on which teams have had an enjoyable 12 months and see who had a year to forget.
The top five is an accurate reflection of this season's top five (although it should be noted not all teams have played the same number of games).
Arsenal have led the way this campaign and, after coming up short last season, they will be striving to go one better to finally secure an elusive first Premier League trophy since 2004.
If looking just at the past 12 months, the title would be theirs, despite a number of draws early in 2025.
Having gone through their worst run of form under Pep Guardiola late in 2024 and early into 2025, alongside their initial poor start to this season, it may be surprising to find Manchester City so close at the top.
But a feature of this City side under Guardiola is their ability to recover from less than impressive starts and go on winning streaks - they are currently on a run of six wins in the league.
Aston Villa fans can look also back fondly on 2025, having experienced the return of Champions League football, secured more European football again this term and found themselves in a battle for the Premier League trophy.
They may have had a slow start this season but their general consistency in 2025 and a club record-equalling run of 11 straight wins in the final weeks catapults them into the top three.
Having won the title with ease last season, Liverpool fans can still revel in that achievement. But a drop-off at the end of 2024-25 and a poor run this time around leaves them fourth for the year.
Meanwhile, Chelsea made progress in 2025 under Enzo Maresca, with Champions League football and two bits of silverware, but a lack of consistency in a young team prevents them ascending higher than fifth.
When looking at the next five, there are perhaps some surprises.
With their FA Cup win, 2025 will go down in Crystal Palace's history, and their Premier League form has not been too shabby either as they compete with the teams that have occupied Champions League spots in recent seasons.
No Thomas Frank, Bryan Mbeumo or Yoane Wissa? No problem for Brentford. They may have had a summer of upheaval but that has not stopped the Bees buzzing as they continue to perform above expectations.
After a few years of struggles on and off the pitch, 2025 seems to be the one Everton fans can finally start to look up rather than down with the new stadium and return of David Moyes bringing much-needed stability.
Newcastle may have had a few ups and downs, but they have come good when needed and hold their own in the top six, while Brighton continue to establish themselves firmly in the top 10.
Find out how the bottom half of the table shapes up on the post below
Who struggled in 2025?published at 10:21 GMT 1 January
10:21 GMT 1 January
Now, what about those who may have had a less enjoyable 2025?
Manchester United continue to try to find their feet under Ruben Amorim. And while there have been glimmers of progress in recent weeks, a torrid first half of the year has left them with much room for improvement (and a draw with Wolves to end 2025 only added to the questions).
Bournemouth and Fulham both seem to have found consistency in their ability to be inconsistent.
There have been bursts of form from both, but also bouts of disappointment they might rather forget.
As for Nottingham Forest, 2025 may have been the year they returned to Europe for the first time in nearly three decades, but when it came to results in the league, particularly this season, it has been more of one to forget.
Under their third head coach of the season, they will hope 2026 does not bring the return of Championship football.
Like Forest, Tottenham's 12 months has been memorable for both the good and the bad.
A first trophy in 17 years was secured in the Europa League, but it has been far from impressive in the Premier League, managing just 11 wins from 37 matches and some pressure already building on boss Thomas Frank.
One of the most notable things about the bottom end of the calendar year table is the presence of all three promoted teams, despite two of the three having played a game less than the relegated clubs of last season.
With Leeds nine points better off and Sunderland 17, it highlights the disparity in how well this year's promoted sides have done in comparison to the previous three.
For the Black Cats, it has been a dream return to the top flight, including a recent win over Tyne-Wear rivals Newcastle, and in this season's table they find themselves just two points off fifth.
After overcoming a difficult patch, Leeds are also enjoying their return to the top table, slowly pulling themselves away from the danger spots.
It has been more of a struggle for Scott Parker's Burnley, but they will not lose hope with still half a campaign to go.
After recent successes with European football, domestically things have become a harder watch for West Ham supporters as they struggle to find the balance between good football and much-needed results
Then there is Wolves - and fans may want to look away.
Despite playing 20 Premier League games more, the West Midlands side accumulated only one point more than Sunderland across the year.
A win this term still eludes them and safety in 2026 appears a distant dream.
Check out how the top half of the table looked in the post above
Panel supports Simons dismissal and Ekitike goalpublished at 10:15 GMT 1 January
10:15 GMT 1 January
Dale Johnson Football issues correspondent
Image source, Getty Images
Tottenham Hotspur boss Thomas Frank was furious after his side fell to a 2-1 loss at home to Liverpool on 20 December.
Spurs saw Xavi Simons sent off on a video assistant referee (VAR) review for a challenge on Virgil van Dijk.
Frank also felt Liverpool's second goal should have been ruled out for a push by Hugo Ekitike on Cristian Romero.
Spurs captain Romero was then sent off for a second yellow card in stoppage time.
The Premier League's Key Match Incidents Panel delivered unanimous verdicts that the Simons red card and the Ekitike goal were both correct.
On the Ekitike incident, it stated "there's not enough contact for a foul, particularly given the high threshold for penalising contact".
Romero's second yellow card was supported 4-1.
Centre-back Micky van de Ven's attempted block on the shot for Alexander Isak's goal, which resulted in the Liverpool striker breaking his leg, was not deemed a red-card offence to be considered by the panel as a key match incident.
Sutton's predictions: Brentford v Tottenhampublished at 09:43 GMT 1 January
09:43 GMT 1 January
Tottenham have got the best away record in the Premier League again, thanks to their win at Crystal Palace on Sunday, but Brentford are absolutely flying at home too.
So, how do I call this one? Let's be honest, Spurs are not an attractive team to watch at the moment, and they are very stuffy and scrappy whether they win or not.
Their form on the road will probably give Thomas Frank a bit of confidence going back to his old club. He will get a good reception there, I'm sure of that.
But Brentford have snuck up to ninth after taking seven points from their past three games, and they won't lack belief either.
Anyone can beat anyone in this part of the table, which doesn't help me when it comes to making a prediction. I can't pick a winner here so I'm going for a draw.
