Sunderland go into the last third of yet another difficult season buoyed by that astonishing 4-0 win at Crystal Palace last Saturday and knowing that a win over Southampton and other helpful results would lift them out of the bottom three for the first time since August.
In the past, there has been a tendency for a significant victory to be followed by a disappointing and often dismal defeat. At this delicate stage of the season, a repeat of this unfortunate habit has to be avoided at all costs if the Wearsiders are to escape relegation to the Championship.