The former Black Cats striker has backed Sunderland to survive in the Premier League and given his prediction for Sunday’s Tyne-Wear derby
Former Sunderland striker Kevin Phillips believes the Black Cats are still on course to secure Premier League survival - but admits the club would benefit from one more victory to remove any lingering doubt.
Régis Le Bris’ side have experienced a difficult run of form in recent weeks, including defeat to Brighton at the Stadium of Light and a shock FA Cup exit against Port Vale. However, Phillips insists the broader context of Sunderland’s season should not be forgotten.
Speaking about the club’s position in the table, Phillips said he would like to see Sunderland reach the traditional safety mark. “I'd like to see them win another game, get to that 43,” he said. “Because when you look at the teams below, and he mentioned that to me last week, I think they would love another couple of wins just to completely mathematically secure their status.”
Despite the recent dip in form, the former Premier League Golden Boot winner believes Sunderland remain well placed to achieve their primary objective for the campaign. “But I still think they'll be fine,” Phillips added. “At the beginning of the season, just finishing, surviving in the Premier League was the ambition. Things went so well, at some stage, like any team, they're going to hit a lull.”
Phillips also pointed to the challenges Sunderland faced earlier in the campaign when several players were away on international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations. “And when they had the players that went away to the AFCON, they dealt with it quite well,” he said. “Now they're going through a little sticky patch, losing at Port Vale, losing at the weekend.”
Attention now turns to Sunday’s Tyne-Wear derby at St James’ Park, where Sunderland will look to complete a league double over their fierce rivals. Phillips believes the fixture represents a major opportunity for the Black Cats. “What an opportunity this weekend to do the double over their arch rivals,” he said.
The former Sunderland forward was present at the reverse fixture earlier this season and expects another electric atmosphere when the two sides meet again. “I was at the fixture at the stadium that only season, the atmosphere was incredible,” he said. “I expect the same at the weekend, but it will be a very, very tough game.”
Phillips acknowledged Newcastle’s strong form under Eddie Howe but stressed that derby matches rarely follow predictable scripts. “As we know, Newcastle are in a good place, good side, but it's a derby, anything can happen.” When asked for his prediction, Phillips ultimately sat on the fence. “So I'm going to predict probably, I'm going to go for a sit on the fence, I'm going to go for a draw.”
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