Tottenham Hotspur and Stoke City began their busy festive schedule with a meeting at White Hart Lane this afternoon.
Spurs would have climbed above London rivals Arsenal into third with a win over the Potters, but they could only claim a point on a damp day in the capital.
The hosts dominated large proportions of the contest but were denied victory by a stubborn display from Stoke, who earned their 10th draw of the season.
Below, you can read how Tony Pulis's men frustrated the Lillywhites and extended their unbeaten Premier League run to eight games.
Afternoon all! The weather is trying its best to disrupt today's football schedule but all the Premier League fixtures seem to have survived the storms.
Including here at White Hart Lane. Around 45 minutes until kickoff, so let's have a look at this afternoon's team news.
A big boost for home boss Andre Villas-Boas is the return of Gareth Bale. Tottenham's influential winger has been absent for their last three fixtures with a hamstring strain, but is fit to start today.
Michael Dawson has also recovered from the same problem to be named in the Tottenham XI. He skippers the hosts as William Gallas drops to the bench.
Another change to the Spurs defence that kept a clean sheet in the victory over Swansea last time out is Steven Caulker's selection at centre-half. He will partner Dawson, with Jan Vertonghen shifting to the left and Kyle Naughton missing out.
After difficult start to his White Hart Lane career, Clint Dempsey has produced some much-improved performances in recent weeks. However, the American is not included in Tottenham's squad today, presumably due to a fitness problem.
Scott Parker is again named in the Spurs 18 as he continues his comeback from a long-term achilles injury, but is only among the substitutes. Emmanuel Adebayor has shaken off a knock to start alongside Jermain Defoe in attack.
Here is the Spurs team in full then...
SPURS: Lloris; Walker, Caulker, Dawson, Vertonghen; Sandro, Dembele, Lennon, Bale; Defoe, Adebayor
SUBS: Friedel, Naughton, Gallas, Livermore, Sigurdsson, Townsend, Parker
And onto the visitors, who are without Charlie Adam after the midfielder was granted compassionate leave following the death of his father earlier this week.
He is replaced in the Stoke XI by Ryan Shotton, who has returned from suspension. The Potters academy graduate usually operates at full-back but has been pushed further up the right flank this afternoon, perhaps with a view to giving Andy Wilkinson support in his quest to stop Bale down the Spurs left.
Bale's former Spurs teammate Peter Crouch again has to settle for a place on the bench. He has not been able to shift Kenwyne Jones from the Stoke starting lineup since recovering from dental surgery.
Wilson Palacios is another former Spur among the visiting substitutes. He moved from White Hart Lane to the Britannia Stadium in a £6m switch last summer.
However, one Stoke player who does start against his former club is Matthew Etherington, who spent three years at Tottenham earlier in his career.
Here is the Stoke team in full then...
STOKE: Begovic; Wilkinson, Shawcross, Huth, Cameron; Shotton, Whelan, Nzonzi, Etherington; Walters, Jones
SUBS: Sorensen, Upson, Palacios, Whitehead, Kightly, Jerome, Crouch
Spurs boss Villas-Boas was very complimentary of Stoke when he spoke to the press earlier this week and even went as far as saying that the Potters have 'one of the best defences in Europe'.
Stoke certainly aren't seen as one of Europe's major footballing forces but it is hard to argue with the Spurs boss when you look at the statistics.
They have only conceded 13 goals in their opening 17 Premier League fixtures - less than any other Premier League side this campaign. Quite remarkably, they have kept four more clean sheets than Barcelona this season. Who would have though it, eh?
Just under 10 minutes until kickoff, and the rain seems to have subsided slightly. For now, at least.
Tottenham have failed to beat Stoke in their last three meetings, having drawn the corresponding fixture last season and suffered defeat at the Britannia.
The players are out on the pitch now, which means kickoff is imminent! Prediction time - I'm going for a 1-1 draw as I think Spurs may find the visitors difficult to break down.
We are underway at White Hart Lane...
CHANCE! And we have a fantastic chance to opening the scoring after just 40 seconds. Kyle Walker's sloppy pass across his back four is intercepted by Kenwyne Jones, who can only fire his shot over the crossbar. Very wasteful from the former Sunderland forward, who has scored just once in his last 28 appearances.
Positive start from the visitors, who have pinned Spurs back into their own third. Shotton launches a couple of his long throws into the box but Dawson and Adebayor respectively leap to clear.
Spurs go forward for the first time through Lennon, who stands a cross up to the back post but there is not a white shirt in sight and Stoke can comfortably clear.
Etherington looks to break after Whelan gets the better of a 50-50 with Sandro, but Dawson stretches out a leg to make a fantastic challenge and deny the winger a path to goal.
Booking! Sandro is shown an early yellow card for going in with a high boot in the aforementioned incident with Whelan. It could now be a testing 83 minutes for the tough-tackling Brazilian.
Vertonghen makes a good double challenge in the left-back position but Stoke win another thrown-in. Shotton hurls the ball into the box only for Dawson to head clear again.
Dembele travels with the ball into the Stoke third before tangling with N'Zonzi, who wrestles the Belgian to the ground. Following that, he flails an elbow at Dembele which also goes unpunished. Spurs will feel very aggrieved that N'Zonzi was not punished considering Sandro's early caution.
CHANCE! Bale jinks in between two Stoke challenges on the left flank before fizzing a low cross towards Defoe. Huth stretches out a leg to intercept and clear.
SAVE! Jones gets in on goal again as Etherington finds him in the right channel with a ranging through pass. The Trinidadian shoots across goal and Hugo Lloris reacts well to save low and push the rebound just out of the reach of Jonathan Walters.
Unsurprisingly, Stoke have scored more set-piece goals than any other Premier League side this season. They have a chance to add to that here with a long-range free kick.
But Huth's drive is charged down by Defoe.
Vertonghen has superb feet for a defender and he demonstrates this with a run that sees him dribble past both Shotton and Walters. The Belgian cuts back onto his weaker right foot and chips a cross into the box which is just above Defoe's head.
Bale whips in Tottenham's first corner of the afternoon and Begovic charges off his line to claim, unconvincingly, at the second attempt.
Booking! Vertonghen becomes the second Spurs player to be cautioned in the opening half-hour after catching Whelan on the foot with a slightly late tackle.
Spurs vent their frustrations to referee Lee Mason, who chooses not to show Whelan a yellow card for a very similar challenge to the one that saw Vertonghen cautioned just moments ago.
SHOT! A patient Spurs passing move eventually results in Vertonghen taking fire from 25 yards but N'Zonzi's block takes the sting out of the shot and Begovic gathers.
CHANCE! Bale creates a yard of space by shifting the ball away from Shotton and drilling a cross into the near post, but both Defoe and Adebayor were static and Shawcross clears over his own crossbar.
CHANCE! Best opportunity of the match for the hosts as Dembele pinches the ball from Whelan and releases Bale down the left. He charges forward before drifting a fantastic early ball to the back post, but a stretching Adebayor cannot direct his header downwards.
Ironic cheers greet Lee Mason's decision to award Spurs a free kick following Walters' tug on Walker. The hosts, probably correctly, feel that they haven't had many calls go their way so far.
DOUBLE SHOT! Adebayor links up well with Defoe, who cannot control his left-footed shot on the turn. On the next Spurs attack, Bale's 30-yard deflected effort earns Tottenham a corner.
More cheers, this time genuine from the White Hart Lane faithful, who applaud former striker Peter Crouch on the touchline as Jones hobbles around following a clash with Walker.
SHOT! Dembele shifts the ball past Whelan and unleashes a powerful left-footed drive that goes narrowly over the crossbar. He hit it well, but it was always rising.
We are now entering first-half stoppage time, of which there will be two minutes...
SHOT! Defoe finally gets half a sniff at goal as he collects a pass from Vertonghen before spinning onto his right foot and drilling an effort, that had Begovic scrambling, just wide of the post.
HALF-TIME: Spurs 0-0 Stoke
Goalless then at the break but there have been chances in a fairly lively first period. In terms of quantity, Spurs have had the better of it with six attempts, but Stoke's two shots have been the clearest sights of goal. Kenwyne Jones could not convert either of those opportunities, with Hugo Lloris denying him with one fine save.
Here you can read Sports Mole's half-time report on the contest, courtesy of my colleague Barney Corkhill.
Spurs resume the action in north London. Remember, a win today will take them above capital rivals Arsenal and Chelsea in the Premier League table.
Yellow card! Spurs may have been frustrated by some of Lee Mason's calls in the first half, but he has made immediate amends in the opening minute of the second period by booking Andy Wilkinson for a trip on Lennon.
SHOT! Lennon drifts inside before laying the ball onto Defoe, but his strike is high and wide.
Whelan sets Etherington free down the left and his cross is into a dangerous area, but just ahead of the surging Walters.
Defoe pokes the ball past Shawcross and when his effort from a tight angle is blocked, it falls to the edge of the box where there is no Spurs midfielder to collect and shoot from a great position. The hosts are not getting enough bodies in the box to combat Stoke's compact defence.
SHOT! What an effort this is! Bale sees Begovic trying to organise his defence and the Welshman attempts to score directly from the corner. Begovic realises he is in trouble and scrambles back as the ball lands on the roof of the net. Audacious!
CHANCE! Bale is involved again as he climbs to head Lennon's floated cross just over from close range. The two wingers have switched flanks in the last few minutes and Spurs seem to be getting some joy from the tactical change.
CHANCE! At the other end, Cameron jinks his way past Lennon and cuts the ball back for Shotton. The Potters man has plenty of space but opts to strike first time and scuffs his shot straight at Lloris.
SHOT! Defoe collects the ball from Lennon on the left edge and the England poacher cuts inside and shoots, only for Cameron to divert it behind for a corner.
SUBSTITUTION: Shotton will not have the chance to redeem himself for his poor effort, which has proven to be his last action of the match. Dean Whitehead is on in his place.
Booking! Whitehead is cautioned less than two minutes after his introduction after cynically pulling down Vertonghen.
SUBSTITUTION: Second change in quick succession made for the Potters as Jones makes way for Cameron Jerome. No sign of Peter Crouch as yet.
This match is poised for an intriguing last 20 minutes. Spurs have been applying the pressure since the interval, but Stoke do look a threat on the counter, especially through Etherington.
SUBSTITUTION: Just as I was saying that, Etherington has been taken off and Crouch brought on in his place. The towering striker receives a warm reception on his return to White Hart Lane.
So Tony Pulis has made all three of his changes, how will Andre Villas-Boas respond? Gylfi Sigurdsson is the most likely candidate of the Spurs subs.
Defoe chips a ball over the Stoke back line and Sandro stretches out a foot to control it. He attempts to steer the ball into the box but Shawcross diverts in behind for a corner.
SHOT! Lennon launches a Spurs counter and via Dembele, the ball arrives to Bale. The Welshman cuts inside and, not for the first time this afternoon, opts to shoot when there were better options ahead of him.
Yellow card! Cameron is booked for preventing Lennon from taking a quick free kick.
Booking! And N'Zonzi follows his teammate into the book for a late lunge on Sandro.
SUBSTITUTION: Villas-Boas finally turns to his bench and throws Sigurdsson on for Lennon.
SHOT! The Icelandic international is involved immediately. He wriggles away from a couple of Stoke challenges, but doesn't get hold of his low shot which is held by Begovic.
Stoke have a free kick, but neither central defender travels forward, which suggests they are content with a draw here.
SHOT! The ball comes into the box on several occasions, but Stoke can only partially clear the danger until Walker's speculative effort flies over the crossbar.
Defoe earns Spurs a free kick 25 yards out after being tripped by Cameron, who escapes without a second booking.
Bale takes it and it strikes the wall on its way behind for a corner.
...Which Begovic claims unchallenged. Time running out for Spurs if they are to find a winner.
SUBSTITUTION: Just to update you with a Tottenham change from a few minutes earlier, which saw Scott Parker enter for Dembele.
More in hope than expectation, Spurs appeal for a penalty after Bale is shoved to the floor by Jerome. Nothing given by referee Mason.
We are now entering stoppage time, of which there will be four minutes...
SAVE! Incredible stop from Begovic as he dives low to palm Sigurdsson's header away. What a save!
Booking! Walters is cautioned for kicking the ball away, which buys Stoke more precious time.
A long Bale throw falls to the feet of Sigurdsson, but he is surrounded by Potters defenders and is forced away from the danger zone.
FULL-TIME: Spurs 0-0 Stoke
So, Stoke extend their unbeaten top-flight run to eight matches and prevent Spurs going third in the Premier League with a stubborn display. The hosts dominated large percentages of the game but could rarely break down a stubborn Potters defence. And when they did, Begovic produced a high-quality stop in stoppage time to deny Sigurdsson a late winner.
That's it from me. You can read Sports Mole's full-time report on the contest here. Thanks for following the action with us this afternoon!
