Tottenham Hotspur and Sunderland are locked goalless at half time in the Premiership clash at the White Hart Lane on Saturday.

Spurs, who lost Robbie Keane to Liverpool this summer, are without Dimitar Berbatov for this game as boss Juande Ramos kept the Manchester United transfer target out as he was not focussed enough.

As such, with lone striker Darren Bent up front, Spurs could not create many chances. A couple of opportunities came the home side’s way in quick succession, but firstly David Bentley’s delightful corner-kick went wasted as no one in the white shirt could get at the other end of it in the Black Cats box.

Soon after, England winger Aaron Lennon skilfully went past a host of rival players to send a cross into the box intended for Bent, who however was outjumped by Nyron Nosworthy to avert the danger.

The Black Cats played with plenty of intent with new signings El-Hadji Diouf and Steed Malbranque causing the north-Londoners some trouble.

Former Spurs midfielder Malbranque came closest to scoring as his 25-yard grounder struck the goal-post with Heurelho Gomes little bit slow to come down to his right side. Craig Gordon in Sunderland goal, was relatively untroubled and boss Roy Keane will be the happier of the two managers.

Teams:

Tottenham: Heurelho Gomes, Didier Zokora, Ledley King, Benoit Assou-Ekotto, Jonathan Woodgate, Gareth Bale, Aaron Lennon, Jermaine Jenas, Luka Modric, David Bentley, Darren Bent.

Substitutes: Cesar Sanchez, Michael Dawson, Gilberto, Tom Huddlestone, Chris Gunter, Jamie O'Hara, Giovani dos Santos.

Sunderland: Craig Gordon, Danny Higginbotham, Danny Collins, Phillip Bardsley, Nyron Nosworthy, Andy Reid, Dean Whitehead, Steed Malbranque, Kieran Richardson, El-Hadji Diouf, Daryl Murphy.

Substitutes: Darren Ward, Anthony Stokes, Djibril Cisse, Carlos Edwards, Grant Leadbitter, Michael Chopra, David Healy.