Opposition View: Sunderland

- Sunderland manager David Moyes previews the Premier League match against Leicester City

- The North East outfit travel to King Power Stadium on Tuesday evening without a win in five

- Local reporter Richard Mennear says it will be a tall order for Sunderland to avoid relegation

The Black Cats are eight points adrift of safety at the bottom of the Premier League table with just nine fixtures remaining meaning they need to secure a first victory in five as soon as possible. On the opposite side of the equation, City are enjoying a five-match winning run in all competitions. 

Craig Shakespeare's men could climb into the top half of the table for the first time since September with three points. With an away encounter at Everton at the weekend being followed by the UEFA Champions League Quarter-Final first leg at Atletico Madrid, City are keen to get points on the board. 

Following defeat to Watford on Saturday, former Manchester United boss Moyes said: “While there's still a mathematical chance, we need to keep going. This was always going to be a pivotal week. I said we needed to win one of the games, so now we need to try and win Tuesday night. 

Meanwhile, Sunderland Echo reporter Richard Mennear says the North East outfit have an uphill battle if they are to prove the bookies wrong yet again and secure another great escape from relegation. 

He said: “Starting the season with a 10-game winless run and financial problems off the pitch, they’ve been struggling really badly. It’s ironic because they have one of the best goalkeepers in the league in Jordan Pickford and a very good striker in Jermain Defoe but that hasn’t been enough to improve results. 

"The table doesn’t lie. In the last four years, they’ve flirted with a drop to the Championship but they’ve somehow managed to avoid it. 

"Looking at it at the moment, it’s hard to see how that could happen this season. When Defoe doesn’t score, the team doesn’t. The amount of pressure on their games is going to be massive. Their rivals around them are all picking up points as Sunderland drop them.” 

England forward Defoe is a doubt for the trip to the East Midlands this week but Mennear says the problems within the Sunderland squad are not just limited to their attacking options. However, he also insists there has been an improvement in recent weeks which gives them hope. 

“Goalscoring has been a huge problem all season, they’ve relied too heavily on Defoe who can’t do it all by himself," he added. "Injuries have also had a massive impact on their fortunes. If any team misses three of their better players, it’s going to be tough. 

“Defence and midfield, too, have been a problem all season. They’ve not been too bad in recent weeks, to be fair, and haven’t been conceding as much.”