Good afternoon! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for what could be a pivotal day in the Premier League relegation battle. Two of the bottom five go head to head as Sunderland host Palace at the Stadium of Light in a match that both sides will be desperate to win in order to boost their own survival hopes.

Let's start with a look at our hosts today, who finally return to Premier League action for the first time since February 22 due to their admirable but ultimately unsuccessful cup exploits. Gus Poyet saw his side lose the League Cup final to Manchester City despite a good performance at Wembley, while a week later they were well beaten by Hull to be eliminated from the FA Cup at the quarter-final stage.

In their absence from league action, the Black Cats have slipped down into the relegation zone and now sit just three points clear of bottom-placed Fulham. They won't be panicking just yet, however, as their fate is in their own hands having played two - and in some cases three - games fewer than the teams around them. Just one point separates them from safety as things stand, and a win this afternoon would likely see them climb out of the bottom three, although that does depend on results elsewhere.

Of course, to get a win today they will need to ensure that they recover from the disappointment of losing the League Cup final. Swansea notably tailed off after their success in the competition last season, but Sunderland simply can't afford to do that given their current league position. There were definite hints of a hangover in their performance against Hull last Sunday, and Poyet will need to work hard in order to quell that as soon as possible. He will very today as a perfect opportunity to do so.

His side are not in great form coming into this match, however. Having embarked on a fine run of just one defeat in nine Premier League matches, the Black Cats have lost their last two in the league, while they have also been beaten in four of their last five matches in all competitions. Poyet is in no doubt how important it is to stop that slump this afternoon, describing this match as the biggest of the season for his side - bigger even than their League Cup final.

On the surface, Sunderland's home form looks quite good in recent weeks, with just one defeat in their last seven at the Stadium of Light in all competitions. However, in the league they have been far from impressive in front of their own fans, picking up just three wins all season. Indeed, only Fulham have amassed fewer points at their home ground this season which, with away trips to Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester United still coming up, is something the Black Cats will need to improve if they are to stay up.

They have also managed just three clean sheets at home all season, so they will be glad to see a team struggling for goals come to the Stadium of Light this afternoon. The Black Cats have let nine points slip from winning positions in front of their own fans - which is more than any other team at home - but they haven't lost to Palace here in almost 35 years and TOny Pulis never won here with Stoke.

One worrying statistic for Sunderland is that they have only amassed nine points against teams currently in the bottom half of the table this season, which is the worst record of its kind in the league. In addition to that, they have scored a measly eight goals against teams in the bottom half, something they simply must improve upon in the final 12 games of the season.

In contrast, Palace have earned 23 points against teams in the bottom half of the table this season - second only to Swansea out of the sides currently embroiled in the relegation battle. That form is what they are banking on keeping them up, and another three points this afternoon would put them in a much more comfortable position, potentially five points clear of the relegation zone and six ahead of Sunderland.

Indeed, Palace could climb as high as 14th with a victory this afternoon, while defeat could see them drop as low as 19th, and would certainly put them below Sunderland. Tony Pulis's honeymoon period appears to be waning now, but he has still improved the team's form a huge amount and they will be confident of staying up with him at the helm.

Palace's 3-1 win over Sunderland in the reverse fixture was their only success in their opening 11 games of the season, resulting in Ian Holloway stepping aside and Pulis entering the fray. Since then, Pulis has amassed a highly respectable 20 points from his 16 games in charge, and they are now just 13 away from the magic 40-point mark. However, they have only won one of their last five matches and only Fulham have lost more games in the league this season.

There is no doubt that Pulis has improved his side's defence a massive amount, but it is at the other end that the problems lie. Palace have scored a pitiful 19 goals in their 28 games this season - the lowest amount out of any of the 92 professional teams in England's top four divisions. The same applies to their combined total of 23 from league and cup exploits.

They do have the best defensive record in the bottom seven of the table having conceded 38 goals, while only Hull have let in fewer in the bottom half. However, they need to start finding the back of the net at the other end if they are to start picking up the victories that could keep them in the division.

Away from home, things look even worse for the Eagles. They have scored just six goals on their travels all season - unsurprisingly the lowest tally in the Premier League. They have also only won two games all season, amassing just seven points from their 13 matches. Only Cardiff have managed fewer on the road in the current campaign.

Indeed, they have not won away from Selhurst Park since Boxing Day and, following their 1-1 draw against Swansea at the Liberty Stadium at the start of this month, are looking to remain undefeated in back-to-back away games for the first time this season. To do that, they may well have to score a goal, but as things stand they are well on course to break Leeds United's all-time record for fewest goals in a Premier League season (28 in 1996-97).

TEAM NEWS: Right, the team news is in for both sides, and the good news for the hosts is that Fabio Borini and Steven Fletcher both start up front in a side that sees a number of changes from the FA Cup defeat to Hull. Palace, meanwhile, are still without Gabbidon and Bannan but Tom Ince, Joe Ledley and Glenn Murray all start. Full team news for both sides on the way.

SUNDERLAND STARTING XI: Mannone; Bardsley, Alonso, O'Shea, Brown; Bridcutt, Ki, Larsson; Johnson, Borini, Fletcher

SUNDERLAND SUBS: Gardner, Colback, Altidore, Vergini, Scocco, Cattermole, Ustari

CRYSTAL PALACE STARTING XI: Speroni; Mariappa, Dann, Delaney, Ward; Bolasie, Digkacoi, Jedinak, Ledley, Ince; Murray

CRYSTAL PALACE SUBS: Hennessey, McCarthy, Guedioura, Puncheon, Thomas, Gayle, Jerome

So, what can we make of those two teams? Well, it is no surprise to see Poyet make a host of changes to the team that played so badly against Hull, and the first of those is to bring Mannone back in for Ustari between the sticks. The former Arsenal keeper has been in fine form for the Black Cats this season, and has arguably been one of their most important players. He will be confident of another clean sheet to add to his tally against the league's most toothless attack this afternoon.

Poyet also welcomes back the experienced head of Brown into the side to partner O'Shea, and it is that centre-back partnership that the manager will be looking to to lead the team away from danger. They both enjoyed plenty of glory in their Manchester United days, but a relegation scrap is very different and they could well be key to Sunderland's survival hopes. Bardsley has also proved himself to be a valuable player since being brought in from the cold, and it doesn't hurt that he has something of an eye for goal either.

It is the front three that Sunderland will be looking at to damage the stubborn Palace defence, and they have the weapons to do so. Borini has been a shrewd loan signing from Liverpool and appears to have settled in well to Premier League life now. He will always have a place in Mackem hearts following his winner against Newcastle earlier in the season, but he needs to produce the goods a little more consistently.

Johnson, meanwhile, has arguably been Sunderland's best player this season. He went through a fine spell of form earlier this year that brought about calls for him to be included in the England squad and, while that clamour has died down a bit recently, he still has the quality to hurt the Palace defence this afternoon. The same applies to Fletcher, who can be very difficult to handle both in the air and on the ground when he is on form.

Palace, meanwhile, will be hoping that Glenn Murray's recent return from a long injury brings with it the goals that have been severely lacking this season. He scored 30 last season in the Championship before his injury and has already registered in the Premier League, so Pulis will be hoping that he is the man to turn their troubles in front of goal around.

It won't help that top scorer Marouane Chamakh remains sidelined with a hamstring injury, but Murray should be ably supported by Tom Ince, who arrived from Blackpool in January. A number of Premier League clubs were looking at the attacking midfielder, but it is Palace that secured his signature and now he must prove that he is as good as the hype suggests. He certainly brings a bit more flair and pace to the Eagles' attack, which is something that they have been lacking this season.

The defence has become a tough unit to break down under Tony Pulis, and they are likely to have a clean sheet as their main priority again this afternoon. However, the continued absence of Gabbidon, who has failed to recover from a knock, could disrupt the usually solid backline, who have not managed to keep the opposition at bay in their last five outings.

PREDICTION: We're 10 minutes from kickoff at the Stadium of Light, which means that it is time for my match prediction! In truth, I don't see a high scoring affair this afternoon. Sunderland have struggled at home and against the teams around them in the table, while Palace aren't exactly a free-scoring side themselves and have a woeful away record this season. The Eagles may be happiest with a draw so could set out to schieve that result, but I think Sunderland will just edge it. I'll go for 1-0 to the Black Cats.

I mentioned earlier that Palace have never beaten Sunderland at the Stadium of Light, but they have remained unbeaten against the Black Cats in their last four meetings, winning three (all at home) and drawing one. However, they have also failed to score in four of their last five visits to Wearside which, given their troubles in front of goal this season, does not bode well for them.

In such a big relegation battle, which could prove to be pivotal in the seasons of either team, an interesting fact is that only Palace have been relegated from the Premier League more often than Sunderland. The Eagles have suffered that fate four times, while the Black Cats have gone down on three occasions.

There are five other Premier League matches kicking off at 3pm this afternoon, and you can follow each and every one of them live with us on Sports Mole. You can see a list of what he have on offer by clicking here, while I will also be keeping you up to date with any major events from those games.

Okay, the players are out and almost ready to go now in what is a huge relegation battle at the Stadium of Light. A win would give either side a timely boost in their survival hopes, while defeat could see them end the day in the bottom three.

KICKOFF: Neil Swarbrick gets the game underway as Sunderland kick off in front of a vocal home crowd. Who will come out on top in this huge match today?

Bright start from Sunderland as they immediately set out on the front foot. A draw wouldn't really do either side any favours but, given their poor away record, Palace would probably be happy if they come away with a point today.

CHANCE! Good chance for the hosts early on as Johnson cuts inside onto his left foot before swinging a dangerous ball towards the back post. Fletcher gets in front of his man to latch on the to delivery, but he can't keep his header down as he nods it over the bar.

UPDATE: There have been three early goals elsewhere in the Premier League, with Swansea, Southampton and West Ham all taking the lead. Roland Lamah got the goal for Swansea against West Brom, Morgan Schneiderlin broke the deadlock for Southampton against Norwich, while Andy Carroll has given the Hammers the advantage away to Stoke.

YELLOW CARD! Neil Swarbrick brings out his yellow card early on as Mariappa brings down Borini. It was by no means a bad tackle, but it was his second in quick succession.

SAVE! Speroni is called into action for the first time today as a clearance only goes as far as Alonso on the edge of the box, but his low shot is fairly comfortable for the Palace keeper.

Sunderland come forward again and work the ball out wide to Ki courtesy of a good advantage played by the ref. Ki sends a dangerous low ball into the box, but no-one is there to take advantage and it flashes behind for a goal kick. Palace are coming under heavy pressure early on in this one.

It really has been a bright start from Sunderland to this match, and right now they look like the only side likely to open the scoring. The conditions could well play a part in this game as it is very blustery inside the Stadium of Light, making crosses and high balls tough to deal with.

Indeed, the hosts choose to play a corner short here in order to counteract the windy conditions. Johnson cuts inside and squeezes a cross in that Brown meets, only to slice his header well wide.

YELLOW CARD! Another card for the visitors as Johnson and Ward battle for the ball before the latter goes flying in to a challenge on Larsson. The Palace man actually got the ball, but the ref adjudged his tackle to be dangerous and produces his yellow for the second time in the opening 13 minutes.

The hosts come forward yet again and Ki is given the ball around 30 yards from goal. The crowd urge him to shoot and he duly obliges, only to power an effort well over the bar. That was a waste.

It really has been one way traffic so far for Sunderland. They have enjoyed 74% possession and Poyet will be desperate for his side to take advantage of this dominance before Palace can gain a foothold in the game. Despite their control of the game, Speroni hasn't had a tough save to make so far.

Neil Swarbrick may have a tough game on his hands today. It is likely to be a niggly game with plenty of fouls, and if he keeps up his early level of strictness then we could well see a lot of cautions this afternoon.

YELLOW CARD! Indeed, there is another yellow, this time for Sunderland's Liam Bridcutt for a foul 30 yards from goal. The ref could perhaps do with being a little more lenient in such a big game.

From the resulting free kick the ball is teed up for Jedinak, who takes a touch before going for goal from range, only to send his shot high and wide of the target. Poor effort from the Palace midfielder - but at least it is a shot for the visitors!

Palace come forward again and produce their best piece of play so far to release Ward down the left, but his subsequent cross is poor and goes behind for a goal kick. The visitors are just starting to ease themselves into the match now after a tough opening 20 minutes or so.

Palace defend two crosses in quick succession before a third is flicked on towards the back post. It is drilled back into a dangerous area and two red and white shirts are close to getting a touch on it to turn it goalwards, but it eludes both of them and flashes across the box, away from danger.

A long ball releases Alonso down the left and he just about reaches it before it goes behind for a goal kick. His drilled cross takes a slight deflection off Mariappa which takes it into the path of Johnson, but he can't wrap his foot around the ball and sends it a long way high and wide of the goal.

The tackles are really flying in at the moment, and while none of them have been particularly nasty ones, Swarbrick has set a precedent of yellow cards for such challenges early in this match. I wouldn't be too surprised to see one of these teams end the match a man down if it carries on like this, if only through the totting up process.

Johnson does really well on the right to reach the ball and hook a brilliant cross into the box. Fletcher has made a good run towards the front post but can't get enough on the ball to turn it towards goal and it runs across the face once again. It just isn't falling for the hosts inside the box at the moment.

Sunderland are asking for a yellow card to be shown to Jedinak and, to be honest, if Swarbrick was being consistent then he would show him one. That is his third or fourth foul of the match already, and this time the ref makes it abundantly clear that the next will result in a card.

SHOT! Larsson swings a dangerous free kick into the box and Palace once again head it out, but only as far as Ki on the edge of the area. He concentrates on the ball as it falls to him before smashing a volley towards goal that flies a few yards wide. Decent connection, but the accuracy was off.

Almost a disaster for Mannone as he trips over a bobble in the turf just as the ball has been played back to him. He manages to get some sort of clearance on it, hitting it to Glenn Murray before recovering in time to save the shot. That was almost very embarrassing for the keeper!

UPDATE: Stoke have levelled things up against West Ham at the Britannia Stadium, with Peter Crouch making it 1-1 for the Potters.

Shameful play from Bridcutt as he goes down holding his face after a small tussle with a Palace player, forcing his side to kick the ball out when in a decent position. He gets up shortly afterwards and the replay shows that it was much ado about nothing.

Borini is released down the left before pulling it back to Johnson, who is forced to backtrack to the edge of the area before giving it back to the loanee Italian. Borini stands the ball up into a good area and Fletcher is a matter of inches from connecting with what would have been a simple finish. Very close for the hosts.

There have been plenty of tussles in this match already, and the latest ends with Bardsley diving in on Jedinak. Had it been on anyone else, that probably would have seen Bardsley booked but, because Jedinak has got away with a few himself, I think the referee decided a warning would suffice. The Palace skipper certainly made the most of the challenge, throwing himself to the floor in dramatic fashion.

SCRAMBLE! Chaos in the Palace area as Johnson goes across the edge of the box before firing a low shot towards goal that falls to Bardsley. He can't quite get hold of the ball and ends up falling on top of it, prompting the Palace players to attempt to get at the ball by virtue of going through the Sunderland defender. The ref awards a free kick for obstruction, but the Palace players could have easily been penalised for that.

Sunderland have enjoyed the lion's share of possession in this match so far, but they are yet to really use it effectively. Speroni still hasn't had a tough save to make, thanks largely to some stubborn defending by the men in front of him.

Another scramble inside the box results with Ince making a sliced clearance that takes the ball straight to Borini. He tries an acrobatic bicycle kick and is not too far away from pulling off a spectacular opener, sending his effort a few yards wide and over.

There will be a minimum of two minutes added time at the end of this first half.

YELLOW CARD! Another yellow card at the end of the half as Dikgacoi goes into the book, and this time it is deserved for a tackle from behind on Bridcutt. He did get a foot on the ball, but he came through the back of his man to get there.

No surprises in that first half, then. In what is a huge match for both sides in the relegation battle it has been a nervy and, above all, scrappy affair. We are still awaiting our first clear chance of the match and it is the type of game that will be decided by the odd goal.

Sunderland have certainly been the better team so far, dominating possession and showing far more urgency in attack than the visitors, but they are yet to turn that into chances. They have struggled to break down Palace's stubborn defence and Speroni has had a quiet game considering how much of the ball the hosts have seen. Poyet will be imploring his side to show more of a cutting edge in the second half.

Palace haven't threatened much so far, but Pulis will be fairly content with his side's display so far. It isn't pretty, but it is proving effective and he will fancy his side's chances of maybe even nicking a winner in the second half. If they can come away from this match with a 1-0 victory it would be a huge boost to their survival hopes.

The most notable trait of the first half was the sheer number of fouls that were conceded. It has been a very scrappy encounter so far and referee Neil Swarbrick has had a tough time policing it. He has had to become a little more lenient as the match has gone on, showing three yellow cards in the opening 20 minutes before calming down.

A draw would not really suit either team, but neither would it be a terrible result. Sunderland have the luxury of games in hand to take them out of the bottom three, but they have controlled this game so far and would be disappointed to come away with anything less than a win.

KICKOFF: Palace get us back underway for a huge second half at the Stadium of Light. There has been one change at the break, with Altidore replacing Fletcher, who was limping towards the end of the first half.

Bright start to the half again from Sunderland as Johnson's cross is flicked goalwards by Borini, drawing a fine stop from the keeper. The linesman's flag is up, so it wouldn't have counter, although the replays suggest that Borini was indeed onside.

Worrying sign for Poyet as Bardsley stays down having received a blow to his face. He should be able to continue, but not before getting a little more treatment on the sideline to ensure that he is safe to carry on. He isn't one to make the most of such incidents.

CHANCE! The best chance of the match so far falls to Altidore as he is played in inside the box. His first touch is poor, which robs him of a clear chance, but he manages to spin and still get a shot away that Speroni does really well to save.

Palace are defending really deep at the moment, and it is tough to see them changing their philosophy. It will be interesting to see whether Pulis decides to take a few more risks if it remains goalless in the final 20 minutes, or whether he will simply play for a goalless draw until the end.

UPDATE: West Brom have equalised against Swansea at the Liberty Stadium thanks to a Stephane Sessegnon strike. The Baggies are perilously close to the relegation zone at the moment, so that could be a vital goal for them.

Bridcutt sends a first-time ball into the box towards Borini, who produces an acrobatic volley to send it towards goal. However, it was a tough chance under heavy pressure, so it is no surprise to see it fly over the crossbar.

SHOT! Palace have a rare shot on goal as they come forward at quite a slow pace. The ball eventually finds its way to Bolasie, who cuts inside before drilling a low strike straight at the keeper.

YELLOW CARD! Larsson is the latest to go into the referee's notebook for a poor challenge on Ward as he looked to drive out of defence. He can have no complaints about that one.

YELLOW CARD! That card is swiftly followed by another as Delaney brings down Ki. Swarbrick's job is not being made any easier by players surrounding him asking for a card to be shown for every foul.

UPDATE: Southampton have doubled their lead against Norwich at St Mary's, Rickie Lambert getting the goal to make it 2-0 to the Saints.

SUNDERLAND SUB: The hosts make their second change of the match as Larsson makes way for Craig Gardner in a straight swap in midfield.

CRYSTAL PALACE SUB: Pulis responds with a change of his own, bringing on Cameron Jerome for Glenn Murray. No change is system for the visitors then, and why would he? Things are working well for his side so far.

YELLOW CARD! It only took Gardner a couple of minutes to join the ever growing list of players in the referee's book. This one is harsh as he is penalised for the slightest of touches on Ledley.

Worrying signs for Palace as Scott Dann collides with Mariappa on the right wing. Mariappa caught his defensive partner right on the side of his head with his knee, and the referee correctly stops play immediately. That one looked nasty.

Bardsley throws himself to the floor inside the area with and almost looks embarrassed as he turns to the ref hoping for a penalty. Swarbrick is having none of it, and rightly so, but it has cranked the volume up inside the stadium.

UPDATE: Everton have opened the scoring against Cardiff through Gerard Deulofeu, which is good news for both Sunderland and Palace. That bad news for them is that Fulham have got a potentially crucial goal through Ashkan Dejagah, while Stoke have also regained the lead against West Brom courtesy of an Arnautovic strike.

UPDATE: As I say that, Cardiff have just got a valuable equaliser at Goodison Park. Juan Cala got the goal to make it 1-1 for the Welsh side.

It must be said that this game has lacked any sort of quality in the attacking third. We haven't had a clear chance so far, and the majority of the match has been a slugfest in the middle of the park. It really has been a scrappy game.

CRYSTAL PALACE SUB: The visitors make another change as Tom Ince makes way to be replaced by Adlene Guedioura.

Guedioura almost makes an immediate impact as he slips the ball to Jerome, but the striker's shot is terrible as he scuffs it tamely straight at the keeper. Moments later Jerome flicks a corner on at the front post, but it is easy for Mannone.

It must be said that it is looking increasing unlikely that we will see a goal in this match. While Sunderland had a degree of control over the first half, they have been dragged into the scrappiness of the second and have not been able to threaten the defence as often.

Palace, on the other hand, are starting to see more of the ball in an attacking sense. Pulis will be hoping that they may be able to nick a winner in the closing stages here, and I wouldn't put it past them.

YELLOW CARD! Wes Brown is the latest in the book for a clumsy foul on Jedinak right on the edge of the box. Palace now have a free kick in a very good position. Could this be the moment?

Guedioura is the man who goes for goal, but he doesn't get anywhere near enough curl on his effort, sending it a few yards wide of the mark.

CRYSTAL PALACE SUB: The visitors make their third and final change of the match as Jason Puncheon comes on for Bolasie.

OFF THE POST! By far the best moment of the match so far sees Borini finally find a bit of space on the right, darting into the box before crashing a powerful effort off the near post. It bounces back out and Sunderland recycle the ball until Borini receives it again on the edge of the box before sending a curling effort narrowly past the post. Those have been the best two shots in the match by a long way.

SUNDERLAND SUB: Poyet makes his final change of the match as Scocco replaces Johnson for the final five minutes.

A messy scramble inside the Palace box eventually sees the ball fall to Alonso on the edge of the box, but his first-time effort flies a long way over the bar.

UPDATE: There has been a flurry of late goals elsewhere in the league, with Norwich scoring twice in as many minutes to make it 3-2 to Southampton at St Mary's. Can they pull another one back to complete a superb comeback. Mulumbu has also scored what could be a huge goal for West Brom as they have taken the lead against Swansea.

CHANCE! Huge chance for Palace to win this match late on! Dikgacoi takes the ball down in the area and plays it back to Guedioura, whose shot is collected by Jerome. He then plays in Dikgacoi again, but the Palace midfielder sends his shot wide when he had to at least hit the target. Huge opportunity, Palace's best of the match.

This one is not over yet! The assistant signals a minimum of five minutes added time at the end of this match - can either side grab a dramatic winner?

What a waste of a chance that is for Palace. The two centre-backs ask Pulis if they should go up for a corner and he says yes, but then Puncheon's delivery is straight into the arms of the keeper.

Ledley picks up the ball in s decent position over to the left side of the box, but his shot is off target as the visitors waste another good position. They could have stolen this one late on here.

SAVE! Good play from Puncheon as he carries the ball a long way, eventually reaching the edge of the box and cutting inside onto his left. He drives a low strike towards the bottom corner, but Mannone gets down comfortably to make the save.

So, this crucial relegation six-pointer ends with a point apiece for either side in a match that didn't really deserve much better, to be honest. It was a scrappy affair between two sides playing with a hint of desperation but also with a fear of losing the game. The referee was the busiest man on the field, and that never makes for a good spectacle.

Sunderland came closest to scoring when Fabio Borini found a bit of space in the second half, but his powerful effort crashed back off the post before he sent another curling shot just wide moments later. Palace's best chance of the match came in the closing stages when Dikgacoi was played in on the right side of the box, but he failed to hit the target from a really good position.

Right, that is all we have time for this evening! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for what was unfortunately not the greatest spectacle you will ever see. A draw does neither side any huge favours, but Palace will be the happier team considering their poor away record this season. Stay tuned for our match report, reaction and analysis, all of which will be on site shortly, while you can also follow coverage of Aston Villa vs. Chelsea here. From me, though, it is goodbye for now!