Sunderland goalkeeper Vito Mannone has insisted that the team must stay positive if they are to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

The Black Cats sit three points adrift of safety in the table after their goalless draw with Crystal Palace on Saturday, but they have games in hand on all of their relegation rivals.

Mannone believes that the Sunderland players must not doubt their ability after the result.

"We cannot be negative. We approached the game really well, Palace hardly touched the ball in the first half. Sometimes things go for you, sometimes they do not," he told The Chronicle.

"At the same time, you have to look at yourselves and maybe dig in really hard to find that solution if it is not coming. We are going to have more games like that in the near future when the teams around us come here and they are going to be happy with a point. We are not.

"We just need to come off the pitch giving everything we have and I think we did that on Saturday."

Sunderland travel to Norwich City on Saturday.