GUNNERS OUT TO SEAL TOP-THREE SPOT

Sunderland visit Arsenal on Wednesday needing just a point to confirm their English Premier League survival.

Dick Advocaat's men missed the chance to make sure of their top-flight status for next season last Saturday as they were held to a 0-0 home draw by Leicester City. But the Wearside club still hold a three-point advantage over third-bottom Hull City and only require a draw at Emirates Stadium to stay up.

However, they face an Arsenal side who have won 13 of their last 17 matches in the Barclays Premier League. The Gunners can seal third place and a spot in the Uefa Champions League group stage with a win.

A heavy loss would keep the pressure on Sunderland, whose goal difference is inferior to Hull's and only five better than that of struggling Newcastle United, ahead of a final-day meeting with champions Chelsea.

“Normally, if you have 37 points, you're safe,” Advocaat said. “But we will go on until the end and we have to do what we have to do to get that point.

"The other teams have to do what they have to do too, and win their games. We will stay up, I have no doubts about that."

Arsenal lost their last home match 1-0 to Swansea City, and Arsene Wenger is expecting Sunderland to execute a similar gameplan, sitting back and hoping to attack Arsenal on the counter. The Arsenal manager called the defeat by Swansea an “accident” and called on his team to use their high energy to clinch third spot in the league.

“For me the Swansea game was an accident,” Wenger said. “Having analysed it, it’s one of the games we deserved to win the most of all the games. We lost two in two or three years now, so you can say that’s an accident.

“Sunderland need a point to be safe so I expect them to be well organised defensively, sound at the back, and to try to use all the counter-attacks they can, all the set-pieces they have, to score goals. We have to put a high rhythm into this game and play with a high level of energy to win the game.”

It remains to be seen whether Danny Welbeck (knee) will be fit to play, while Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Mathieu Debuchy both have hamstring injuries. Laurent Koscielny is a doubt and Wenger has suggested that he will end his run of an unchanged starting XI for six EPL matches.

Billy Jones has added to Sunderland's injury worries with a muscle injury picked up late in the Leicester draw. Should Jones miss out he will join a lengthy list of absentees that includes Wes Brown, Jordi Gomez and Ricky Alvarez (all knee) and Jack Rodwell (hamstring).

Arsenal (from): Ospina, Szczesny, Bellerin, Chambers, Debuchy, Gabriel, Gibbs, Koscielny, Mertesacker, Monreal, Arteta, Cazorla, Coquelin, Diaby, Flamini, Gnabry, Ozil, Ramsey, Rosicky, Wilshere, Giroud, Sanchez, Walcott, Welbeck.

Sunderland (from): Mannone, Pantilimon, Coates, Jones, O'Shea, Reveillere, Van Aanholt, Vergini, Bridcutt, Buckley, Cattermole, Giaccherini, Johnson, Larsson, Defoe, Fletcher, Graham, Wickham.