Sunderland continue slip down the table

All the football headlines earlier this week may well have been about the Manchester derby, which was lit up by brilliant pieces of skill from the likes of Carlos Tevez and Wayne Rooney, but Wednesday night also brought some important results in the Premier League. The league action was dominated by a comfortable Chelsea victory, which brought an end to Birmingham's unbeaten run in all competitions, to such an extent that the action at Goodison Park went largely unnoticed by neutrals.

Sunderland fans, though, will have noticed the result, with the game ending 2-0 to the home team thanks to goals from the majestic Tim Cahill and new boy Landon Donovan. The match was further evidence of Sunderland's recent poor form which is resulting in a dramatic slide down the Premier League table. Victories earlier in the season against teams including Liverpool and Arsenal seem like distant memories now for Steve Bruce and his team, who are finding confidence hard to come by.

This lack of belief has seen them slip down to a precarious position just three points away from the dreaded relegation zone, which looked like the last place Sunderland would be heading just a couple of months ago. Indeed, Sunderland's win over title-chasing Arsenal seems to have been just another false dawn for the Black Cats, as they haven't won in the league since.

Although the football betting suggests Sunderland should stay up, their fans will still be looking at the league table with a sense of dread.

Meanwhile, Everton are in the opposite position to their opponents earlier in the week, with a good streak sending them in the right direction in the league. David Moyes' men seem to have picked up some kind of momentum, although their cause was helped by some dire Sunderland defending. Still, a UEFA Europa League place isn't out of Everton's reach this season.

With Stoke up next for Sunderland, and Wigan Everton's next opponents, it could be more of the same for these teams over the coming days.