Sunderland are 11th in the Premier League table
The Black Cats have won 11 of their 31 matches
Sunday's 2-1 derby victory over Newcastle completed the league double
Having completed the league double over fierce rivals Newcastle on Sunday, Sunderland head into the international break full of confidence in what has been a terrific return to the top flight.
The Black Cats were expected to be fighting against Premier League relegation but, after 31 matches, they find themselves 11th in the standings and one point ahead of the Magpies.
With six points the gap to fifth-placed Liverpool, Sunderland are still in the Champions League picture, although breaking into the top five will be difficult and perhaps a Europa League or Conference League place is more attainable.
Head coach Regis Le Bris now has some time to ponder the remainder of the campaign as the international break begins and we have taken a look at what he and the club need to do in April.
Maintain Derby momentum
The international break arguably falls at the worst time for Sunderland, who secured a 2-1 comeback victory at St James' Park on Sunday to extend their superb recent record against the Magpies.
The Black Cats have not lost a league fixture against Newcastle since August 2011 – a run of 11 matches which includes eight wins – and the result on Tyneside may be the boost they needed for the end-of-season run-in.
An FA Cup defeat to Port Vale followed by a 1-0 loss to Brighton may have worried the Sunderland fanbase that the campaign could be petering out, but this derby triumph is exactly what was required.
Three massive fixtures
European football is very much a possibility for Sunderland but if they are going to achieve this goal, then they need to keep registering victories and they have three important matches in April.
First up after the international break is the visit of relegation-threatened Tottenham, who were desperate in their 3-0 loss to Nottingham Forest on Sunday to heap further pressure on interimmanager Igor Tudor.
The Black Cats then head to Aston Villa before rounding off the month with a clash against Forest at the Stadium of Light, a venue which has been a fortress this season.
Sunderland have collected 26 points at home, losing just three times from 15 outings, and the fact four of their last seven league assignments are on Wearside is a huge bonus.
Start summer preparation
While Sunderland still have plenty to play for this term, they also cannot rest on their laurels and the coaching staff must have one eye on the summer.
There was plenty of upheaval at the Stadium of Light last summer and if the Black Cats do manage to secure European football, expect it to be another busy transfer window.
One player Sunderland will want to tie down is right-back Lutsharel Geertruida, who has impressed since arriving on a season-long loan from Bundesliga outfit RB Leipzig.
The 25-year-old Netherlands international has played 27 times in all competitions and the Black Cats will surely be looking into making his move a permanent one.
As things stand, there was no clause inserted into the contract that allows Sunderland to make the move full-time for an agreed fee and the club may have to battle with a few other teams to acquire Geertruida's signature.
