After a disappointing draw with West Brom at home on Boxing Day, Tim Sherwood and his Tottenham side will look for some forward momentum when they entertain Stoke City in the English Premier League on Sunday.
Where to Watch Live
The game is scheduled for a 9.30 pm IST start with live coverage on Star Sports HD1 in India. The match can also be live streamed online HERE. To catch the action live online in the US click HERE. To watch the match via live streaming in Australia, click HERE, with the same for Middle East and North Africa viewers HERE. To match can be watched via live streaming in the rest of Africa and South Africa HERE.
Spurs have had a rather event-filled month of December, and the fans, after being put through the wringer time and again over the past few weeks, would like nothing more than to end the year on a high, with three comfortable points against Stoke, who had an utterly crazy game of their own on Boxing Day against Newcastle.
"It wasn't for the lack of trying [against West Brom]," Spurs defender Michael Dawson told the club's official website. "We threw everything at them, we were on the front foot and after going ahead in the first half, it was disappointing to concede in the way we did.
"We just couldn't get over the finishing line but it's a quick turn around and we'll be ready for Stoke."
The 1-1 draw against West Brom saw Manchester United leapfrog the North London side, and with the teams at the top starting to get into their stride, Tottenham can ill-afford anymore dropped points.
"We have to win this game against Stoke because it's vital we stay up near the top with the European places," Spurs midfielder Lewis Holtby told the club's official website.
"It was a very disappointing result at home against West Brom. Everyone wanted the win, we needed the win but in the Christmas period there's no time for feeling sorry for ourselves. We have to be up for it, we have to be mentally right."
Stoke manager Mark Hughes was left seething after seeing two of his players - Glen Whelan and Marc Wilson - sent off late in the first half, which allowed Newcastle to take full advantage and come away with a big 5-1 victory.
The Stoke manager believes the game at White Hart Lane will be time to make amends. "We are exasperated by the events of Boxing Day, but we have another game coming our way very quickly which I think is a good thing for us," he told Stoke City Player. "Obviously we will be without a few players now, but we still have players who have the quality to go to Tottenham and cause them a lot of problems.
"It is hugely disappointing to be here now with nothing to show for our performance against Newcastle, because I really thought that there was only one team that looked like winning that game when it was 11 v11 and that was us.
"It does hurt and it isn't a fair reflection of the game on our players, but we will use our frustrations to our advantage and look to get the result we want in London on Sunday."
Team news: Tottenham: Kyle Walker is suspended for the hosts, but Paulinho returns after missing the last match. Jermain Defoe (hamstring), Mousa Dembele (ankle) and Aaron Lennon (stomach) are all doubts, while Jan Vertonghen, Andros Townsend and Younes Kaboul are out.
Stoke: Whelan and Wilson will miss the game through suspension after their red cards against Newcastle, with Robert Huth and Asmir Begovic also missing through injury. "We will be without both of them [Whelan and Wilson]," Hughes said. "It's not ideal but that is the way it is -- and we have to get on with it."
Expected lineups: Tottenham: Lloris; Walker, Dawson, Chiriches, Rose; Lamela, Paulinho, Eriksen, Chadli; Soldado, Adebayor.
Stoke: Sorensen; Wilkinson, Shawcross, Cameron, Pieters; Nzonzi, Palacios, Adam; Walters, Crouch, Assaidi.
Prediction: 2-1 to Tottenham
