Jermain Defoe has told his Sunderland teammates that a Tyne-Wear derby win over Newcastle United on Sunday could prove a watershed moment in a testing season.
The bottom-of-the-table Black Cats host their bitter rivals at the Stadium of Light hoping to pick up their first Premier League win at the 10th time of asking.
Sunderland, the only team in the division yet to register a victory, have won the last five derbies, and Defoe says that another could 'change everything' for them in their relegation battle.
"If we can win, everything changes. The whole atmosphere changes. The lads will be more confident. The fans will be buzzing," he is quoted as saying by The Mirror.
"It would be the first win of the season and we really need it."
The Magpies, who were also winless prior to last weekend, thumped Norwich City 6-2 to ride the crest of a wave into Sunday's contest.
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