Thomas Frank frustrated as Tottenham fail to 'kill off' Sunderland

Spurs controlled the opening 45 minutes and went into the break ahead thanks to Ben Davies, who scored from close range after sustained pressure. Tottenham moved the ball well, played on the front foot and spent long spells in Sunderland's half, but the lack of a second goal proved costly.

Sunderland responded after the interval and earned a deserved equaliser when Brian Brobbey fired home from inside the box, punishing Spurs for not putting the game beyond doubt. On balance, the final score reflected the shift in momentum between the two halves.

Speaking after the match, Frank was pleased with his side's approach but highlighted a familiar issue. "Pleased with the first half. I think we showed a lot of good intentions and a lot of good play," he said. "We came into some very good offensive situations where we lacked the cutting-edge quality.

"The big headline is we didn't score the two-nil goal. We didn't kill the game off. Two-nil and then we are out of sight."

Frank felt Spurs remained competitive after the break but stressed the fine margins at the top level. "First half was very good, totally dominant. Second half not as dominant, but we still had good counter-attack situations. You can't rely in the Premier League just to win one-nil."

Sunderland head coach Regis Le Bris revealed his halftime message focused on simplicity and intensity after a flat start. "We had a lack of energy," he said. "We said just switch on and do simple things well. Tactically we were OK.

"We needed more composure, to win the first contact and the second ball. We showed the character and quality to switch on, and that is positive."

Both managers left with encouragement, but Frank will rue a missed opportunity to turn control into victory.

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