The Tottenham Hotspur starting line-up for the Premier League match against Sunderland has been confirmed ahead of kick-off.After a three-week break from Premier League action, Tottenham Hotspur return this afternoon with a crucial game against Sunderland.This match marks the debut of new head coach Roberto De Zerbi, who replaced Igor Tudor following Spurs’ disappointing 3-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest last time out at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.Tudor lasted just 44 days as Spurs boss despite being tasked with avoiding relegation in his interim role, but with De Zerbi in the dugout, Tottenham will now be hoping to get off to a winning start as they push to avoid the drop with seven games left. Sunday 12th April Premier League SunderlandSunderland14:00TottenhamTottenhamCredit: @thefrederikkejensen / InstagramRoberto De Zerbi deals with Mohammed Kudus’ absenceDe Zerbi has not had any luck in his early days as Tottenham boss on the injury front, with several players still sidelined.The new Spurs manager will have hoped to have Mohammed Kudus available for this clash, but his hopes were dashed as Kudus suffered a setback in his recovery from injury.Guglielmo Vicario is also unavailable as he continues to recover from his hernia surgery, having gone under the knife after Tottenham’s 3-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest.As a result, nine Tottenham players are not in contention for this afternoon’s clash, with Rodrigo Bentancur, Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison, Wilson Odobert, Ben Davies, and Pape Matar Sarr all on the treatment table alongside the aforementioned two.This is the Tottenham team which takes to the field at the Stadium of Light this afternoon:Sunderland XI: Roefs; Mukiele, O’Nien, Alderete, Reinildo; Xhaka, Sadiki, Diarra; Rigg, Le Fee; Brobbey. Subs: Ellborg, Hume, Geertruida, Cirkin, J. Jones, H. Jones, Talbi, Mayenda, IsidorTottenham XI: Kinsky; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Gray, Bergvall, Gallagher; Kolo Muani, Solanke, Richarlison.Subs: Austin, Dragusin, Danso, Spence, Palhinha, Xavi, Sarr, Bissouma, TelToday’s starting XI! ✊🔢 @krakenfx pic.twitter.com/3IxAQhJMte— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) April 12, 2026Spurs face must-win clash as relegation pressure mountsThe pressure is indeed on as Spurs kick off this afternoon’s encounter sitting in the bottom three for the first time this season following West Ham’s 4-0 win over Wolves. Position Team Played MP Won W Drawn D Lost L For GF Against GA Diff GD Points Pts 14 Crystal PalaceCrystal Palace30 10 9 11 33 35 -2 39 15 LeedsLeeds31 7 12 12 37 48 -11 33 16 Nottingham ForestNottingham Forest31 8 8 15 31 43 -12 32 17 West HamWest Ham32 8 8 16 40 57 -17 32 18 TottenhamTottenham31 7 9 15 40 50 -10 30 19 BurnleyBurnley32 4 8 20 33 63 -30 20 20 WolvesWolves32 3 8 21 24 58 -34 17 This makes it a must-win for Tottenham if they are to close the gap on those above them and leave the relegation places.Nottingham Forest face Aston Villa at the same time Spurs play this afternoon, while Leeds are up against Manchester United on Monday. A victory for Tottenham could see them climb to 15th if Leeds and Forest lose their respective matches.For those wondering how to watch Sunderland vs Tottenham, the match is scheduled for a 14:00 GMT kick-off and is being televised live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Ultra HDR.READ MORE: Tottenham have a Championship expert with almost 100 appearances in case of relegationThe post Tottenham Hotspur confirmed line-up vs Sunderland – Roberto De Zerbi pick his first team appeared first on Spurs Web.