Tottenham Hotspur will be looking to put the memory of a 4-2 thrashing at Bolton Wanderers to one side when they play host to Sunderland on Tuesday evening.
Spurs gave a wretched display at the Reebok Stadium and boss Harry Redknapp will hope that it was a one-off, having seen his side drop to seventh place in the table.
The loss means that Spurs have picked up just one point from their last three league games, as they seemingly struggle to adjust to dealing with domestic action after midweek Champions League football.
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The Black Cats moved level on points with Spurs following a 2-0 weekend success at home to Stoke City, gaining three points despite missing injured top scorer Darren Bent – a former Spurs star.
Steve Bruce’s men have now lost just once in their last nine league games, but a 5-1 derby mauling at Newcastle United remains a bitter recent memory.
Last season’s corresponding fixture ended 2-0 to Tottenham, while the later meeting at the Stadium of Light finished 3-1 in the home side’s favour, with Bent scoring twice against his former club.
The previous season a late Djibril Cisse goal gave the Black Cats a 2-1 win at White Hart Lane, their first since December 1984.
Meanwhile, Stoke City and Birmingham City go head-to-head in a Midlands derby on Tuesday evening, with the home side looking to snap a five-match losing sequence.
Potters boss Tony Pulis is unhappy that a number of crucial refereeing decisions have gone against his side in recent times, but the harsh reality is that City are currently only outside the relegation zone on goal difference.
Goals have proved to be a problem for Stoke, who have scored more than once only twice in 11 league games this season.
Summer signing Kenwyne Jones, with three, is the only man to have scored more than once in the Premier League this term for Pulis’ men.
The Blues head to the Potteries a mere two points better off than their hosts, although they are unbeaten in their last three league games, a run which has eased the worries of boss Alex McLeish.
Goals have also been a problem for Birmingham, with midfielder Craig Gardner and defender Liam Ridgewell their joint leading league scorers with three goals apiece.
The last four meetings of these two sides have yielded a mere two goals, with two games ending goalless and Birmingham securing two 1-0 victories.
Last season this fixture was settled by a Cameron Jerome goal early in the second half at the Britannia Stadium.
Prior to the low-scoring meetings, Birmingham recorded a 7-0 win at the Victoria Ground in the 1997-98 season, with Paul Furlong netting a hat-trick.
