Sunderland boss Sam Allardyce is courting Lady Luck ahead of Leicester clash

Results went in Sunderland's favour yesterday with relegation rivals Newcastle United and Norwich City both suffering defeats - the latter's 1-0 loss at Selhurst Park leaving Crystal Palace on the verge of Premier League safety.

Sunderland have the chance to chip away at fourth bottom Norwich's four point buffer when they host league leaders Leicester today, with Sam Allardyce's men facing the first of their two games in hand on the Canaries.

The Black Cats have blown the chance to improve their plight in the relegation battle during four successive draws - all of which could easily have ended in victory for Allardyce's side.

But while Allardyce acknowledges Sunderland's shortcomings, he also believes that they haven't enjoyed the rub of the green.

"The luck has deserted recently I feel, even though you say you make your own luck," said Allardyce.

"Yes, we might have done better, but there's times when the ball goes just inches the wrong side of the post.

"For us, it's gone inches the right side of the post and those inches make all the difference.

"The best team-talk ever achieved on film was Al Pacino in Any Given Sunday when he talks about the inches, and it's true.

"It makes such a massive difference if that little bit of fortune goes in your favour.

"We saw it in Leicester's win over Southampton last weekend.

"Sadio Mane (Southampton winger) went around the keeper and 99 times out of 100, he'd score there.

"This one gave Leicester the opportunity to win. If Southampton had scored that goal, there was no way they'd have lost that game.

"That's not going in our favour at the minute.

"There are some stages of the game where that little bit of fortune makes all the difference."