Sunderland midfielder Jack Rodwell feels that his side's survival hopes hinge on their record against the teams around them in the Premier League.

The Black Cats face off against Aston Villa later today in a crunch relegation battle as Gus Poyet's men sit in 16th place in the table, just four points clear of the bottom three with 10 games remaining in the campaign.

Rodwell believes that a victory over Tim Sherwood's men would provide a huge lift for the club going into the business end of the season.

"It will be a very difficult game and it is a massive one for both teams," Rodwell told the club's official website. "Tim Sherwood has come in and he's given them a lift so we will both be fighting until the end and it will be a good game.

"It is important to beat the teams around you and I think we're four points above QPR, so we have to just keep adding to that tally and this game is vital because a win would see us move away from another team."

Rodwell earned Sunderland a point in their last Premier League outing against Hull City 10 days ago.