Relegation fight is Sunderland's 'Champions League', says Vito Mannone

Sunderland goalkeeper Vito Mannone has compared each of Sunderland's remaining games to a "Champions League final", and has welcomed the pressure of the relegation battle.

Sunderland were able to clinch a vital point after their 0-0 draw against Arsenal, moving above Norwich and out of the relegation zone.

"It's a strange feeling," Mannone said. "You go in with pressure, but if you manage to change the pressure in a positive way and really push to do something special, really it feels like a Champions League final every game.

"I know we are fighting for the Premier League, but that's our Champions League, really, in our heads.

"All we have to do is stay positive and wait for another final to come. Stoke next is another three points. That's what we have to do and as we have learned from the past survivals and from other teams like Leicester, you don't care who you play against, you just go out and try to win the games."

Sunderland only have four games remaining to secure their safety and, after a fifth draw in their last seven games.

"Every game in the Premier League is difficult, but we have got the confidence now throughout the team that if we do the job right, we may get these chances to win games, so it doesn't matter if it's Chelsea or Arsenal," said Mannone.

"As you have seen in the past, we have been in games lately and we have always been in charge to get points - and if we didn't get all the points we deserved, it was out fault.

"But we need to stay positive and keep it going because it can be an odd win that takes you to survival."

Sunderland put in a strong defensive performance against Arsenal but came close to scoring on numerous occasions, with defender Van Aanholt striking the bar with a free-kick.

"It's a very good point, but obviously for the situation we are in, if one of the chances we had had gone in, then it would have been a great bonus three points for us," he added.

"But at the end of the day, we got a nice point against a good Arsenal side and a clean sheet again, and that's all we can ask for."