... With the way the rain is tipping down out on the pitch at the moment, they probably want to stay there...

Danny Murphy
Ex-Liverpool midfielder on Football Focus

"What Sam Allardyce has done is get the back players playing percentages and taking away the risks. They look tighter. The full backs don’t fly forward as much and playing the same people each week means communication gets easier."

Chris Sutton
Former Norwich striker on Final Score

"I think Newcastle and Norwich will go down. It is a must win for Newcastle today, they have to win two out of the last three. Sunderland have continuity now, they are keeping clean sheets and have a goal scorer in Jermain Defoe."

There has just been a minute's applause at Britannia Stadium in memory of the 96 victims of the Hillsborough disaster in 1989.

Guy Mowbray
Match of the Day commentator

"For a team nicknamed 'The Black Cats', Sunderland seem to have a lot of bad luck.

"They've arguably been the best team in the bottom half since January but haven't been able to match performances with results that would have made them safe by now.

"Still, the majority view seems to be that they'll stay up, and I agree - but think that this could be their toughest remaining game.

"Mark Hughes will demand a reaction to being thumped for four in three successive games, and there's still the carrot for Stoke of a third successive best-ever Premier League season. They've got to win all their last three to do it."

Weather update from the Britannia Stadum: not only is it raining, judging from the way most* people are wrapped up it is also bloomin' freezing. I know from previous visits that it is ALWAYS windy...

* I say 'most' because there are a couple of shirtless Sunderland fans who don't appear to be feeling the cold.

Marko Arnautovic has shaken off a groin injury and starts for Stoke City, but the Potters still make five changes from the side that lost 4-0 at Manchester City last weekend.

Jakob Haugaard replaces the injured Shay Given in goal, Erik Pieters is back from suspension at right-back, Charlie Adam and Xherdan Shaqiri return in midfield, and Peter Crouch makes only his third league start of the season up front.

Image source, BBC Sport

Sunderland are unchanged for the fifth-successive game, naming the same team that drew 0-0 at Arsenal last weekend and which has taken a total of five points from their last four games.

Image source, BBC Sport

Mark Lawrenson
Former Liverpool defender on BBC Radio 5 live

"It looks like the Potters are on their holidays already, which I would not expect from a team managed by Mark Hughes.  

"The Black Cats have made themselves hard to beat, and have only lost one of their past seven games.

"But they have only won one of their past seven too, and I think they might have to settle for another draw here."

Image source, BBC Sport

Image source, BBC Sport

A glance at the bottom of the table is a reminder that Sunderland certainly need the points today, although with home games against Chelsea and Everton then a final-day trip to Watford to come, you could argue that this is the toughest of their remaining fixtures.

As for Stoke, I'm backing them to hang on to 10th place, although their goal difference has taken a bit of a battering in recent weeks, hasn't it?

Image source, BBC Sport

Image source, BBC Sport

Let me get this straight - Sunderland are much-improved but have not been getting the wins they need to get clear of the relegation zone?

And today, the Black Cats play a mid-table side whose players at best have little to play for, could be forgiven if mentally they are already on the beach (or at least thinking about Euro 2016), and have shipped four goals in each of their last three games?

There's only going to be one outcome, right?

Sadly for Sam Allardyce & co, football doesn't work like that...