Sunderland manager Gus Poyet has admitted that an in-form Adam Johnson would be vital to his side's chances of beating the drop in the Premier League this season.

Poyet's side come up against fellow strugglers Fulham on Saturday at Craven Cottage and the Uruguayan has urged Johnson to maintain his form for the crucial six-pointer.

"When you have got a player like Adam who is on good form the chance that you will stay in the Premier League is massive," Sky Sports News quotes Poyet as saying. "Adam has started the year fantastically and he made my day the other day so I am looking forward to seeing him stay on that level.

"I have seen him happier and more relaxed and really going for it. When we told him what we wanted him to do we didn't know if it was going to be possible, but he gave us all we wanted to see."

The Black Cats are currently bottom of the Premier League, while Fulham are 16th.