Barclays Premier League

FULL-TIME

The final whistle goes to ensure the game ends goalless.

BRAVE DEFENDING

Robert Huth denies Gylfi Sigurdsson and clears behind for a corner. The set-piece is dealt with, and that looks to be just about it at White Hart Lane.

STUNNING SAVE BY BEGOVIC

That's the best chance of the game. Sandro's cross is met superbly by the head of Gylfi Sigurdsson, but Asmir Begovic somehow gets a hand to it to prevent Spurs from grabbing a late winner. That was stunning!

BALE GOES DOWN

Gareth Bale is knocked off balance just as he's about to pull the trigger, but the referee doesn't give it... much to the disbelief of the Welshman. That could easily have been a penalty.

FREE-KICK BLOCKED

A Gareth Bale free-kick clips the wall and goes behind for a corner. Asmir Begovic claims the ball in, and Stoke look set to hold on for at least a point.

CHANGE FOR SPURS

With the game waiting to restart after Kyle Walker's shot over the bar, Spurs bring on Scott Parker for Moussa Dembele in the centre of the park.

BLOCK BY SHAWRCROSS

A Gylfi Sigurdsson cross fizzes across the face of the box, but Ryan Shawcross is on hand to make the clearance.

ANOTHER TAME EFFORT

Moussa Dembele's shot doesn't look like troubling Asmir Begovic, and you get the sense that Spurs are running out of ideas.

DECENT EFFORT

Gylfi Sigurdsson does well to get his shot away, but once again it's an easy save for Asmir Begovic.

CHANGE FOR SPURS

AVB looks to freshen things up by replacing Aaron Lennon with Gylfi Sigurdsson.

ANOTHER YELLOW CARD

Steven Nzonzi gets his timing all wrong, bringing down Sandro, and the cards are out again.

YELLOW CARD

Geoff Cameron clips Aaron Lennon and prevents him from taking the quick free-kick, so the yellow card is inevitable.

EASY SAVE FOR BEGOVIC

Gareth Bale cuts in on his left and goes for goal, but doesn't quite catch it, and the save is an easy one for Asmir Begovic.

PLENTY OF TIME FOR A WINNER

Chances may have been in short supply at the Lane today, but there's at least 20 minutes left, and that is plenty of time for one of these teams to snatch it.

HERE COMES CROUCH

Stoke are going all out for the win, and Peter Crouch is on for Matthew Etherington to make it a 4-3-3.

ANOTHER CHANGE FOR STOKE

Tony Pulis has made a swap up-front, but surprisingly it's not Peter Crouch coming on. Cameron Jerome replaces Kenwyne Jones.

SPURS 0 - 0 STOKE

Stoke City's tremendous defensive record continued at White Hart Lane as Spurs were held to a 0-0 draw at home. The first half was a balanced affair, with Stoke missing a couple of decent chances. The home side huffed and puffed after the break, but only really threatened late on, when they could have had a penalty and almost picked up the winner – only to be denied by a tremendous Asmir Begovic save. The result stretches Stoke's unbeaten run to eight games, while Spurs drop back into a pack of four teams on 30 points. At the Lane it finished Tottenham Hotspur 0, Stoke City 0.

YELLOW CARD

Dean Whitehead is straight into the book after wrestling Jan Vertonghen to the ground out on the left.

CHANGE FOR STOKE

Just moments after wasting a good chance for Stoke with a shot straight at Hugo Lloris, Ryan Shotton is replaced by Dean Whitehead.

SPURS GAINING CONTROL

The second half has been more of what you'd expect from this game. The Potters have been penned back inside their own half, and Spurs are keeping the pressure on with continuous darts at the Stoke penalty area.

OVER THE BAR

The two Spurs wingers have switched sides, and Aaron Lennon is having plenty of luck down the left. His dinked ball to the back post finds Gareth Bale, but the Welshman can't keep his header down. That should have been a goal.

LENNON CROWDED OUT

Aaron Lennon does well to keep the ball and find space on the edge of the box, but he is crowded out before he can get a meaningful attempt away.

GOING DOWN EASILY

Gareth Bale and Kyle Walker have both gone down slightly easily in recent moments, with the latter's collapse far more embarrassing. Lee Mason opts not to punish either.

OVER THE BAR

Spurs have started the second half brightly, and Jermain Defoe brings a lengthy spell of pressure to an end with a shot over the bar.

YELLOW CARD

Andy Wilkinson goes into the referee's book within seconds of the restart. The home crowd felt that their team got a raw end of things from Lee Mason in the first half, so they let him know their delight at that decision.

SECOND HALF

The teams are back out and Spurs get the game going again at White Hart Lane.

HALF-TIME

A shot by Jermain Defoe fizzes inches wide to end the first half in north London. Stoke will be the happier of the two teams at the break, but both have shown glimpses of attacking threat and will fancy their chances of claiming all three points.

DEMBELE SHOOTS OVER

The Stoke defence is back in numbers, stifling Spurs' attacking threat, so Moussa Dembele cuts onto his left and drills a shot just a yard over the angle.

EVENLY-MATCHED ENCOUNTER

It's been a fascinating game at White Hart Lane, with Spurs looking strong in patches, but certainly not dominating. Stoke have got about the hosts, and continue to look for Kenwyne Jones, but so far the aerial approach has had little reward.

FAMILIAR THREAT FROM STOKE

The visitors have played some good football on the ball, but their main goal threat has come from deliveries into the box. A string of Ryan Shotton set-pieces put pressure on the Spurs defence, and there's so much pushing and pulling going on in the area that it's hard to know where Lee Mason should look.

BALE AT HIS BEST!

Moussa Dembele pinches possession and gives Gareth Bale space to run into. The winger goes on one of his trademark runs, before bending a cross towards Emmanuel Adebayor, but the striker can't quite get over his header and loops his effort over the bar.

BALE TESTS THE DEFENCE

Gareth Bale hammers a ball across the face of the Stoke goal, and only a full-stretch clearance by Ryan Shawcross prevents Jermain Defoe from getting on the end of it.

RETRIBUTION FROM WHELAN

Jan Vertonghen delays a pass across the back-four, and Glenn Whelan comes in with a shoulder on the Belgian defender. There was no attempt to win the ball, and the Spurs players are extremely unhappy that Lee Mason hasn't reached for his pocket.

YELLOW CARD

Mr Mason took his time dishing out the card, but it's Jan Vertonghen who gets it for a tough challenge on Glenn Whelan. The Stoke midfielder has been given some rough treatment by a Spurs side who clearly aren't willing to get bullied.

BRAVE GOALKEEPING

A Gareth Bale corner is swung in towards Emmanuel Adebayor, but Asmir Begovic comes steaming off his line and claims the ball at the second attempt.

SANDRO WALKING A TIGHTROPE

The yellow card for the Brazilian has put him in real danger, with his aggressive style of play and clear aim of getting stuck into Stoke leaving him vulnerable to a sending off.

SUPER JAN

Jan Vertonghen tears Stoke apart down the left, cuts back onto his right, and is inches away from setting up Jermain Defoe with his cross. For a centre-back by trade, Vertonghen has some incredible talent.

BLOCK BY DEFOE

Robert Huth looks to hammer in a long-range free-kick, but Jermain Defoe gets out of the wall well to make the block, and a handball by Steven Nzonzi ends the Stoke attack.

END-TO-END

Stoke very nearly take the lead on the counter-attack, with Matthew Etherington waiting at the back post as Kenwyne Jones squares the ball. However, a touch by Hugo Lloris and an interception by Sandro at the back post deny the Potters.

TIMELY INTERVENTION

Gareth Bale's ball across the face of the box is almost tucked away by Jermain Defoe, but Robert Huth makes a crucial block.

DANGEROUS CHALLENGE

Steven Nzonzi catches Moussa Dembele with an elbow, and replays suggest that it was intentional. The Stoke man is very lucky to get away with that - referee Lee Mason didn't even give a free-kick.

PERFECT START BY STOKE

Tony Pulis will be delighted with how his team have started this game. They have nullified Spurs' attacking game, have had the best chance of the match, and have already created more than a handful of set-piece opportunities.

YELLOW CARD

Sandro goes into the referee's book after catching Glenn Whelan with a high boot. With the exception of a couple of darts from Aaron Lennon, it has been Stoke who have looked the better side in the opening minutes of the game.

SOLID DEFENDING SO FAR

Ryan Shotton has already managed three long throws into the Spurs box, but the home side have plenty of height, and have dealt well with the challenge so far.

SHOULD BE 1-0

Stoke City should be ahead after just 40 seconds. A suicidal pass across the face of his own area by Kyle Walker hands a chance on a plate to Kenwyne Jones, but Steven Caulker does superbly to pressurise the striker into rushing his effort.

KICK-OFF

Stoke City get the game underway at White Hart Lane.

STAY TUNED

Stay tuned for live text commentary.

AWAY TEAM NEWS

Ryan Shotton comes into the Stoke side in the only change from a week ago. He replaces Charlie Adam, who has been given compassionate leave after the tragic death of his father.

TEAM NEWS

Spurs welcome back Gareth Bale, who replaces Clint Dempsey in the side. Jermain Defoe and Emmanuel Adebayor continue in a front-two. AVB has mixed things up at the back to deal with Stoke's aerial threat, moving Jan Vertonghen to left-back and dropping William Gallas, making room for Michael Dawson and Steven Caulker in the centre of defence.

PREVIEW

Spurs host Stoke at White Hart Lane today, looking to stay in the Premier League's top four. AVB's new-look Lilywhites are starting to come together, but know that a poor Christmas could see them slip off the pace. Visitors Stoke are unbeaten in seven and have had the edge of Tottenham in recent times. They took four points off Tottenham last season, as well as knocking Spurs out of the League Cup, and have lost on just one of their last three visits to the Lane.