Boro have been superb defensively in the top-flight this season, conceding just 27 goals – two fewer than second-placed Manchester City. Their attack, though, is at the opposite end of the spectrum. They’ve scored a meagre 19 in total, the lowest tally in the league. Aitor Karanka has to address the near non-existent attacking threat of his side or risk an instant return to the Championship.
The Black Cats are almost completely reliant on one man to save them from the drop: Jermain Defoe. His goalscoring record for the club is brilliant, but sooner or later there will come a point when the striker can no longer deliver on his own.