Defoe eyes up victory at Palace

Sunderland will come up against familiar faces at Crystal Palace on Saturday – in boss Sam Allardyce and Patrick van Aanholt.

And striker Jermain Defoe admits it is a game he is desperate to win in order to keep Sunderland close to their relegation rivals.

The Wearsiders are five points adrift of safety, and three behind Palace, despite Tuesday’s hardfought point against Spurs.

Looking ahead to the Selhurst Park trip, Defoe said: “It’s a game I want to win, badly. It’s not just because Big Sam and Patrick have gone there, it’s because they won (on Tuesday) and we need to stay close and put pressure on the teams around us.

“If we can go there and pick up three points it will be a big result for us, but if we play like we did against Spurs we’ll get chances against the lesser teams – that’s no disrespect to Palace but Spurs are pushing for the title.

“I want to score goals and I only need one chance. We’ll be positive in our play, though, and we will cause Palace problems. We can’t wait.”

Sunderland have been boosted by the return of Lamine Kone and Didier Ndong from the Africa Cup of Nations, with both starring against Spurs.

Defoe added on the club website: “Lamine is a beast and Didi brings so much energy to the team.

“They are two big players for us, especially because of their physical nature, which you need in the Premier League.”