Sunderland will travel to the Britannia Stadium on Saturday knowing that a victory over Stoke City would see them take one step closer to Premier League safety.
The Black Cats climbed out of the relegation zone last weekend, but are only out of the bottom three on goal difference with four games of their season remaining.
Stoke
© Getty ImagesThey may have already secured a ninth straight year in the Premier League, but Stoke will not be happy with how their season appears to be tailing off.
The Potters were still in the European race at the start of this month having lost just one of their six previous games, but a damaging April has seen them drop down to 10th place.
It is now just one win in seven for Mark Hughes's side, and they have lost each of their last three outings, conceding four goals in all of those games. Another defeat in this match would consign them to four in a row for the first time since February 2012.
They first fell to a 4-1 defeat at the hands of a much-changed Liverpool at Anfield before being put to the sword in front of their own fans by a rampant Tottenham Hotspur side last Monday.
The dreadful form continued last weekend when they made it back-to-back 4-0 defeats against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium - a result which saw them slip below Chelsea in the Premier League table.
For much of the season, Stoke looked good to improve upon their ninth-place finishes in each of the last two campaigns, and while what is likely to be a third straight top-half finish is by no means disgraceful, Hughes would have wanted to see improvement considering the money invested in the team this season.
Ninth place does look to be the ceiling of their ambition now, though, with seven points separating them from Southampton in eighth heading into the final three games of the campaign.
The Potters complete their season with an away game at Crystal Palace before hosting West Ham United, but they will need to turn their form around dramatically if they are to come anywhere close to their finish from last season, when they beat Spurs 3-0 and Liverpool 6-1 in two of their final three games.
Their only three home victories since the turn of the year have come against the sides currently in the bottom three, though, so they may be hopeful of snapping out of their slump against another relegation candidate this weekend.
Recent form: LWDLLL
Sunderland
© Getty ImagesAnother year, another escape for Sunderland.
That now looks like being the case this season, just as it was in each of the last three campaigns, when the club's form took a sharp upturn late on to see them survive for another year.
The Black Cats' lives may be running out, but recent form suggests that they have at least one left, with Sam Allardyce's side having lost just one of their last seven outings.
They have also only won one of those matches, but the board brought Allardyce to the Stadium of Light to pick up regular points, and five draws from their last seven outings have seen them edge closer and closer to safety.
They finally climbed out of the bottom three last weekend with a goalless draw against Arsenal that saw them pick up a valuable, and perhaps unexpected point to take advantage of their game in hand over Norwich City.
It is the Canaries who are the closest challengers to Sunderland as things stand, with only goal difference separating the two sides.
Their battle at the bottom is made all the more intriguing by the fact that they both have similar run-ins, with Sunderland taking on Chelsea, Everton and Watford in their final three games, while Norwich face Manchester United, Watford and Everton.
Alex Neil's men face a difficult away trip to Arsenal this weekend, though, and with Sunderland having an easier game on paper as well as playing before Norwich, it is a great chance for them to put pressure on the Canaries.
Their 3-0 win at Carrow Road earlier this month could prove to be the pivotal moment in the relegation battle, and this weekend they will be looking for back-to-back away victories for the first time in almost two years.
Another clean sheet would also see them keep three on the bounce for the first time this season, but only Newcastle United have conceded more goals on their travels this term.
Recent form: DDDLWD
Team News
© Getty ImagesThe Black Cats could have a clean bill of health for this weekend's match, with the only doubt surrounding Jeremain Lens, who is struggling with illness.
Allardyce is expected to name an unchanged team to the one that earned a point against Arsenal last time out, which will see 13-goal Jermain Defoe lead the line.
Stoke have not been so lucky with injuries, and Ibrahim Afellay is the latest to be ruled out having suffered ligament damage in training last week, which could keep him out until 2017.
Shay Given has started the last two matches after Jakob Haugaard was initially preferred to the injured Jack Butland, but the veteran keeper is struggling with a groin problem and rated 50-50.
Xherdan Shaqiri, Jonathan Walters and Marc Wilson are also doubts for this weekend's match, while Glen Johnson is a long-term absentee.
Stoke possible starting lineup:
Haugaard; Bardsley, Shawcross, Wollscheid, Muniesa; Imbula, Whelan, Diouf, Bojan, Arnautovic; Joselu
Sunderland possible starting lineup:
Mannone; Yedlin, Kone, Kaboul, Van Aanholt; Borini, M'Vila, Kirchhof, Cattermole, Khazri; Defoe
Head To Head
Sunderland have only been beaten once in their last nine Premier League meetings with Stoke, winning five and drawing three of those.
However, the Black Cats have only won one of their last eight league visits to Stoke (D2 L5), and have failed to even score in four of the last seven of those.
The reverse fixture in November saw Sunderland run out 2-0 winners at the Stadium of Light, with Patrick van Aanholt and Duncan Watmore both scoring in quick succession in the final 10 minutes after Ryan Shawcross had been sent off for the visitors.
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We say: Stoke 0-0 Sunderland
Sunderland undoubtedly need the win more than Stoke, but a draw would not be a bad result either and defeat could hand the initiative to Norwich ahead of their later kickoff. Stoke, meanwhile, will be desperate to stop the rot and their priority will be to avoid a fourth straight defeat.
