Tottenham Hotspur welcomed Reading to North London on New Year's Day.
Spurs had won seven of their last nine matches in all competitions, however they were without star winger Gareth Bale, who was serving a one-match suspension.
Andre Villas-Boas's men began the game knowing that a win would see them climb above Chelsea to third in the Premier League table.
Meanwhile, the Royals, who began 2013 in 19th position, would remain in the relegation zone regardless of the result.
Happy New Year and welcome to a surprisingly sunny White Hart Lane, where Spurs have won five and drawn one of their last six home games.
Tottenham have begun each of the past four years with a home fixture, winning all four.
In contrast, Reading have not kicked off a New Year with three points since 2007.
Spurs have done well against the Royals in recent years - winning five, drawing one and losing none since 2006.
Two Spurs midfielders have given out contrasting messages in the build-up to today's match. Moussa Dembele has insisted that beating Reading won't be easy, while Sandro has claimed that Tottenham are capable of winning the Premier League title this season.
The teams are in...
SPURS XI: Lloris, Walker, Dawson, Vertonghen, Naughton, Sandro, Dembele, Lennon, Sigurdsson, Adebayor, Defoe
READING XI: Federici, Gunter, Harte, Mariappa, Pearce, Karacan, Leigertwood, Kebe, McAnuff, Guthrie, Pogrebnyak
The Royals are unchanged following their 1-0 win over West Ham United, while Spurs make two changes from the side that beat Sunderland 2-1.
Gylfi Sigurdsson makes his first Premier League start in 13 matches in place of Bale, while Jan Vertonghen replaces Steven Caulker to partner captain Michael Dawson in defence.
SPURS SUBS: Friedel, Caulker, Livermore, Falque, Huddlestone, Parker, Dempsey
READING SUBS: Taylor, Cummings, Morrison, Tabb, Robson-Kanu, Hunt, Le Fondre
Howard Webb will referee this one. The Yorkshireman has showed 57 yellow cards and two reds in 15 matches this season.
Webb also took charge when these sides met at the Madejski Stadium in September.
Spurs ran out as 3-1 winners on that occasion, with Jermain Defoe scoring two goals and picking up the game's only yellow card.
Defoe is Spurs' top goalscorer with 10 goals in 20 Premier League games this season.
Meanwhile, Adam le Fondre, who has found the net five times in 13 top-flight appearances, leads the charts for Reading.
RESULT: The final whistle has blown at The Hawthorns, where Fulham have beaten West Bromwich Albion 2-1.
That scoreline means that Spurs can open up a six-point gap between themselves and the Baggies by beating Reading today.
Spurs have scored an average of 1.9 goals per league game this season, conceding 1.3 per match.
Reading, meanwhile, have scored 1.1 per game and conceded an average of 1.85.
Nineteen goals have been scored in the previous three league games between these sides at White Hart Lane.
Royals boss Brian McDermott has insisted that Sigurdsson, who played two first-team seasons for Reading between 2008 and 2010, is a more than able replacement for Bale.
McDermott: "Bale is a top player but they're not a one-man team. I really like Andre, he's a friend and he is doing a great job. They have Gylfi who we had since 14, top lad and top player. "
The players are on the pitch.
The game is underway. As expected, Spurs line up in a 4-4-2 formation, while Reading are playing 4-5-1.
Reading have started brightly and earned a free kick in a dangerous position, just on the edge of the D in a central position. Kyle Naughton was penalised for a foul on Pavel Pogrebnyak.
GOAL! Spurs 0-1 Reading (Pogrebnyak)
Ian Harte takes the free kick, which smacks against the underside of the crossbar before falling into the path of the big Russian, who heads home from close range.
White Hart Lane is stunned and has fallen silent after that goal.
CHANCE! Spurs should be level. Aaron Lennon gets away from Harte down the right and stands up a deep cross to Emmanuel Adebayor, but the Togo forward heads wide of the post.
Lennon is getting a lot of joy down the right. The speedy winger whips in another cross, winning a corner for his side.
GOAL! Spurs 1-1 Reading (Michael Dawson)
Sigurdsson whips in the corner from the left and Dawson stoops at the near post to head home his first goal at White Hart Lane in four years.
Sigurdsson tries his luck from long-range and his powerful effort deflects wide for another corner kick.
The delivery is poor this time around and Pogrebnyak heads clear.
Dawson's equaliser has settled Spurs down and the hosts are well on top right now.
The physio is on the pitch attending to Dawson, who has bloodied his nose in a clash of heads with Pogrebnyak. The Russian came away unscathed.
Dawson gets Vaselined up, puts on new shirt and the game restarts with Adam Federici's booming goal kick.
Moussa Dembele holds off a strong challenge from Jem Karacan and then fires just wide from 20 yards.
Lennon has Harte on toast right now. Spurs win a third corner.
Reading clear the initial delivery, but Spurs regain possession on the halfway line and cleverly work the ball to Sigurdsson, who is tackled on the edge of the area by a superb sliding challenge from Mikele Leigertwood.
The Royals' passing game has deserted them and they have resorted to pumping the ball long on numerous occasions. Credit to Spurs, who are pressing their opponents high up the pitch.
Sigurdsson plays a cute through ball into the path of Defoe, but Adrian Mariappa gets back to deny Spurs' top goalscorer a shot on goal with an important last-ditch challenge.
Defoe shows excellent control on the edge of the box, before firing at goal from 18 yards. His shot takes a defection and Federici does very well to prevent the corner.
Sandro shoots high and wide from 25 yards. Although Spurs have dominated the game, they will be disappointed that they have only registered one effort on target thus far.
Gunter slides in late on Defoe and Spurs have a free kick on the left touchline, 35 yards from goal.
Sigurdsson's delivery from the set piece is good, but so is Federici's punch. Reading clear.
CLOSE! Defoe teases Leigertwood before fizzing in a shot from 20 yards, which shaves the outside of the post on its way wide.
SAVE! A good passage of play between Sigurdsson and Defoe ends with the latter shooting low with his left foot from 18 yards. Federici does well to hold the effort, which was sneaking inside his near post.
SAVE! Moments after making his first save, Federici is forced into another. The Australian palms away Dembele's powerful long-range strike and then dives upon the rebound to deny Adebayor a simple tap-in .
SAVE! Spurs are piling on the pressure late in the first half. Sandro's shot from 25 yards hits Sigurdsson and forces Federici into an excellent parry.
HALF-TIME: Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 Reading
Here are the other scores in the Premier League, after 45 minutes of play...
Man City 1-0 Stoke, Swansea 1-1 Aston Villa,
West Ham 2-0 Norwich, Wigan 0-2 Man Utd
West Ham 2-0 Norwich, Wigan 0-2 Man Utd
Click here to view our half-time report on events at White Hart Lane.
Let's have a look at the stats of the match so far...
Spurs have dominated possession with 71% and registered 11 shots at goal, four on target.
Meanwhile, Reading have recorded two shots on goal. The first hit the crossbar and the second, seconds later, found the net.
The game has seen three corners so far - all for the home side.
Reading have committed six of the game's 11 fouls, however no bookings have yet been issued.
The second half is underway here in North London.
Spurs begin the second half exactly how they ended the first - on the attack. Lennon gets away down the right, but his cross just evades Adebayor.
SAVE! Defoe bends at goal from 18 yards and is thwarted by a super save from Federici, who does very well to hold on.
GOAL! Spurs 2-1 Reading (Emmanuel Adebayor)
Spurs have a deserved lead and Adebayor, with a powerful header, has his second goal of the season. Most of the plaudits, however, should go to Lennon, who assisted the goal with a brilliant cross to the far post.
Spurs are playing very well right now. Perhaps Sandro's prediction could come true after all... maybe not though.
Talking of Sandro, the Brazilian looks determined to get on the scoresheet himself today. However, he will have to do better than this effort, which skids wide from 30 yards.
CHANCE! Lennon bursts forward for Spurs. His initial shot from 12 yards is blocked and falls to Adebayor, who plays the ball back to Lennon. This time, the England winger has a go with his left foot and his shot deflects wide for a corner.
Reading clear the corner and survive for now. However, I can't help but feel that a third for Spurs is inevitable.
READING SUB: Hal Robson-Kanu replaces Karacan.
Naughton cuts inside from the left and shoots from 25 yards. His effort is deflected and well held by Federici.
Spurs flood forward in numbers. The ball is played to Walker on the overlap and the England right-back wins a corner.
Mariappa heads clear as far as Naughton on the halfway line. The former Norwich City loanee plays a poor pass and the momentum of the Spurs move ends.
CHANCE! Once again, Lennon whizzes past Harte down the right. He then finds Defoe, who shoots wide from eight yards.
SPURS SUB: Scott Parker continues his rehabilitation following Achilles surgery, as he replaces Dembele for the final 21 minutes of this match.
Naughton flashes wide from 25 yards.
Although both of their goals so far today have come from close range, Spurs scored more goals from outside the penalty area than any other Premier League team last season.
CHANCE! After barely venturing into the Spurs half for the past 30 minutes, Reading come very close to finding an equaliser. Pogrebnyak capitalises on an error to get in down the left. His initial shot is parried by Hugo Lloris, but the rebound falls straight to the Russian, who heads wide.
READING SUB: Adam Le Fondre replaces Jobi McAnuff.
SPURS SUB: Clint Dempsey replaces Sigurdsson.
CHANCE! Spurs have Walker to thank for keeping them ahead, as the full-back denies Jimmy Kebe with a fantastic last-ditch slide. Corner to Reading.
CHANCE! Alex Pearce gets an attempt on target, but Dawson clears off the line and the ball goes behind for another corner.
GOAL! Spurs (Clint Dempsey) 3-1 Reading.
Spurs get the crucial fourth goal, as Dempsey's long range effort loops in via a heavy deflection. That is the first time that the American has scored for Tottenham at White Hart Lane.
The points belong to Spurs and both teams know it. The hosts are zipping the ball about beautifully and their fans are loving it.
Parker is urged to shoot from long range. He does and his shot deflects just wide. The corner comes to nothing.
READING SUB: Noel Hunt replaces Pogrebnyak.
SPURS SUB: Jake Livermore replaces Adebayor, who receives a warm round of applause.
SAVE: Parker fires towards the top corner from 25 yards, but Federici pulls off the save of the day to tip wide.
The corner is cleared as far as Naughton, who shoots straight at Federici from outside the area.
CHANCE! Lennon goes on a mesmerising run before finding Dempsey on the left side of the penalty area. The American shoots again, but this time the deflection is not so kind to him and the ball flies wide.
CHANCE! Walker waltzes through the Reading defence and pulls the ball back from the byeline, but the visitors desperately hack clear.
Full time: Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 Reading
Spurs record their eighth win in 10 games and regain third place. Reading, meanwhile, remain five points from safety and without an away win in the league this season.
Click here to view Subhankar Mondal's match report.
Here are the final scores from elsewhere in the Premier League today...
West Brom 1-2 Fulham, Man City 3-0 Stoke, Swansea 2-2 Aston Villa, West Ham 2-1 Norwich, Wigan 0-4 Man Utd
The final game of the day sees Arsenal take on Southampton at St Mary's. Sports Mole will be providing live updates on that one, which you can follow by clicking here.
That concludes today's coverage from White Hart Lane. Happy 2013 everyone.
