Sports Mole previews Sunderland's Premier League trip to the Liberty Stadium as they try to make it three wins in the space of a week with victory over Swansea City.

Sunderland will go in search of their third victory in a week when they visit Swansea City in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.

The Black Cats had only won five games all season before they knocked off Burnley and Fulham within the space of four days.

Manager Gus Poyet has credited Jermain Defoe as a major factor behind this turnaround in fortunes, claiming that it is "no coincidence" that they are winning now that he is in the side.

The 32-year-old former England striker opened his Sunderland account with the second in their 2-0 victory over the Clarets last weekend - a result which lifted his new club four points clear of the drop zone.

Defoe played a full 90 minutes at Fulham in midweek and, although he was not on the scoresheet, Sunderland recorded back-to-back wins for the first time this term courtesy of a 3-1 FA Cup fourth-round replay success.

Swansea may have been in the market for a forward of Defoe's calibre after losing top scorer Wilfried Bony to Manchester City in January, but Garry Monk chose to stick with what he had and they came good at Southampton last weekend.

Jonjo Shelvey scored a 25-yard screamer to end City's five-match winless streak in the top flight with a 1-0 victory which just about keeps them in touch with the heavyweights battling for European qualification above them.

Monk, who celebrated one year in the Swans hotseat this week, continues to be without many of his best attacking options as Wayne Routledge and Jefferson Montero remain sidelined and Gylfi Sigurdsson serves a suspension.

Marvin Emnes joined the casualty list 16 minutes into proceedings at St Mary's Stadium, but Modou Barrow has shaken off the injury sustained in Ryan Bertrand's late red-card tackle and could start at the Liberty Stadium.

In the absence of more experienced names, Jay Fulton and Tom Carroll impressed in midfield last time out and could keep their places, although South Korea's Ki Sung-yueng is back from the Asia Cup and in contention.

There is likely to be a home debut for right-back Kyle Naughton, whose defensive colleagues would be wise to seek advice from in regards to dealing with his former Tottenham Hotspur teammate Defoe, who will be partnered by Steven Fletcher due to Connor Wickham's calf strain.

Lee Cattermole is definitely out with the knee injury that has sidelined him since the New Year, while Adam Johnson, Jack Rodwell, Emanuele Giaccherini, Billy Jones and Will Buckley are all rated as "50-50" for Sunderland's trip to Wales.

This new winning habit is something that Poyet will be desperate to maintain and so changes should be at a premium. Costel Pantilimon will return in goal, while Ricky Alvarez, a scorer in midweek, is on standby for Johnson.

The Black Cats have beaten Swansea only once in the Premier League - a 2-0 victory four years ago.

Swansea:

Form in Premier League: WLDDLW
Form in all competitions: DWDLLW

Possible starting lineup: Fabianski; Naughton, Fernandez, Williams, Taylor; Carroll, Fulton; Barrow, Shelvey, Dyer; Gomis

Sunderland:

Form in Premier League: LDLLLW
Form in all competitions: WLLDWW

Possible starting lineup: Pantilimon; Reveillere, O'Shea, Vergini, Van Aanholt; Johnson, Bridcutt, Larsson, Gomez; Fletcher, Defoe

Sports Mole says: 0-0