Sunderland head coach Dick Advocaat has told his players that six points from their last six games will be enough to preserve their Premier League status.
Following a 4-1 defeat at home to Crystal Palace in their last game, the Black Cats are just a point outside the bottom three.
Bottom side Burnley are also the only team among the relegation candidates with a worse goal difference than Sunderland, with -25 and -23 respectively.
However, Advocaat insists that the equivalent of two wins is all that his players need to achieve from their last six games.
He told the club website: "We know that we have to get results - we need at least six points in the last six games, then we have a chance to stay up, and we have the feeling that we can do something.
"We have still to learn if and when you go behind, that you can still change a game, and we forgot to do that against Crystal Palace."
Sunderland's last six games are Stoke City (A), Southampton (H), Everton (A), Leicester City (H), Arsenal (A), Chelsea (A).
Pascal Lemesre
