With the record of 11 wins, ten draws and ten losses in the Premier League, Sunderland have been quite a difficult side to predict this season, but they are sitting comfortably above the relegation zone, so it has been a successful season for the Black Cats. However, complacency seems to have crept in for them. Sunderland were unbeaten in their opening 12 home matches in the league, but have lost each of the last three at the Stadium of Light. They have kept just one clean sheet in their last six matches, which will give confidence to Spurs. 

However, the Black Cats pulled off a massive 2-1 win against rivals Newcastle at St James’ Park just before the international break. Tottenham have failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their last ten matches, with 26 goals conceded in that time. It’s unlikely that De Zerbi will immediately be able to fix those defensive frailties, so goals remain a target when Spurs are playing.

Tottenham have really struggled to exert control on their games this season, and because of that, they rank fourth in the Premier League for total fouls committed, which has translated to the second-most yellow cards.

They have also received the second-most red cards behind Chelsea. Cristian Romero alone has eight yellows and two reds to his name, making him the only player in the division to be sent off more than once this campaign. 

De Zerbi's Marseille ranked fourth in Ligue 1 for total yellow cards before his departure, and his side also picked up five red cards in their 27 matches. The former Brighton manager likes his side to be aggressive in their press, which can often leave the defence exposed.

Tottenham games are likely to remain quite chaotic and open, which bodes well for backing the cards market once again, especially as Spurs have it all to play for.  

Brobbey was Sunderland's hero in the reverse fixture, firing home the equaliser in the 80th minute to level the scores at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The Dutchman has six Premier League goals to his name, which is not a bad return for his first season in the English top flight, and perhaps his most important contribution in a Sunderland shirt came just before the international break. 

He scored the winning goal against Newcastle in the Tyne-Wear derby in the 90th minute, poking home from inside the six-yard box to send the away fans into delirium. Brobbey had three shots in the reverse fixture against Tottenham, and one of those efforts found the back of the net. He has every reason to be looking forward to this matchup against a Spurs defence that has shown consistent vulnerabilities throughout the season and continues to make key errors at the back.

Romero has been one of the most ill-disciplined players in the Premier League this term, and he is averaging 1.34 fouls per 90 across all competitions. The Argentine international only played three times under Igor Tudor - he was suspended for four games after being sent off against Man United at Old Trafford, and Tudor was sacked not long after. Romero was carded in two out of three appearances under the Croatian manager, with five fouls in that time. 

Tudor would often be seen gesturing for his defensive line to get forward - he wanted them to be more aggressive in their press than they were under Thomas Frank, which led to an uptick in duels and fouls. De Zerbi’s tactics are quite similar in that sense, and he also normally goes with a back five. Because of that, we can expect Romero to still be in amongst the fouls and cards. 

Granit Xhaka is averaging just 0.79 fouls per 90 in the Premier League this season, which is nothing to write home about, but the Swiss international has a reputation for losing his head at times, and the former Arsenal man will be fired up for this fixture against Spurs. The 33-year-old has been carded six times in his 29 appearances for the Black Cats this season, and four of those have come at the Stadium of Light. 

That includes a yellow card against Brighton in his last home outing, which was for getting into a bit of a scrap with the opposition. Given the league context, Tottenham are going to have to be front-footed in their approach here, which means Sunderland should have plenty of defensive work to get through. Robert Jones is the designated referee for this clash, and he is averaging 4.2 cards per game in the league this season.

Le Fee provided the assist for Brobbey's equaliser in the reverse fixture, threading through the ball precisely after Sunderland worked the ball quickly in Spurs' final third. Sunderland had plenty of success against Spurs in the reverse fixture, and Le Fee even struck the post just before Brobbey scored. That was one of eight goal involvements for Le Fee this season, as he has recorded four goals and four assists in 29 Premier League appearances. The Frenchman has been an important creative outlet for Regis Le Bris' side, and he usually plays with confidence in the final third.

Interestingly, Sunderland have only scored ten goals in 16 away matches in the league this season, and Le Fee has contributed to two of those. The Black Cats usually play with more attacking freedom in front of a home crowd, and Le Fee has scored all four of his league goals at the Stadium of Light.

Expecting De Zerbi to persist with a back three, Pedro Porro should continue in his right wingback position, which makes him a target in the final third. The Spaniard is quite attack-minded, with an eye for goal. He was on the scoresheet against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League just before the international break, and he recorded an additional two shots on target in the second leg at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. 

Porro is averaging 1.08 shots per 90 across all competitions this season, and he should regularly be encouraged to get forward from open play. The 26-year-old is also the designated free-kick taker for the Lilywhites, as he strikes the ball cleanly. Most of his efforts come from distance, as Porro tends to shoot when the space opens up, and he had one shot against Sunderland in the reverse fixture which went narrowly over the bar.