The Black Cats prevented the Premier League's most in-form away team from scoring last weekend to register only their third shut-out of the season.

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But Roy Keane's men have not kept a clean sheet on their travels and share the league's worst away record with basement club Derby, having failed to collect a win after losing nine of 11 trips.

Collins said: "From a defender's point of view, my main aim going to Tottenham is to get a clean sheet.

"To do that last weekend against the team with the best away record in the league was very pleasing.

"There were one or two word written in the papers about the player Portsmouth were missing. I though that was a bit negative and didn't give us enough credit.

"They still have good players who would walk into a lot of Premier League teams so I think we have to take a lot of confidence from our performance when we go to Spurs."

Collins was part of the Sunderland side that beat Martin Jol's Tottenham in a dramatic opening day of the season as fellow substitute Michael Chopra came off the bench to net an injury-time winner.

Jol paid the price for Spurs' disappointing start to the season by losing his job and new boss Juande Ramos – the former Seville and Real Betis manager – has improved the Londoners' results, losing only four of 19 games in charge.

Collins said: "Beating Spurs in the first game was a great start for us and I didn't think they would be one of the clubs around us towards the bottom of the league.

"They were probably under-performing and they've picked up under their new manager.

"They're playing better and we know they have good players.

"But we'll go there believing we're more than capable of getting at least a point."

Collins will look to continue playing a prominent role in Keane's side, having appeared in all but one of the Black Cats' 21 Premier League games, mostly at left-back.

"I think I've grown into the role as left-back and got more confident in it," he added. "I would have said I was definitely a centre-back not long ago, but I've got a fair bit of experience at left-back now and I'm enjoying playing a part in the side.

"Anyone who's playing is going to be fairly happy because there are plenty of other lads in the squad who would love the chance and are putting pressure on."