Walter Mazzarri is expecting a nothing less than a hard fought encounter when his Watford side visit the Stadium of Light on Saturday.
Currently 11th, the Hornets have enjoyed a solid Premier League campaign so far and know victory over the Black Cats could see them spend Christmas in 7th.
Despite suffering defeat in midweek at Manchester City, Mazzarri’s side continue to head north as they round off their second away fixture in four days.
But while the Black Cats dream of adding to the Hornets’ away-day blues, having lost their last three matches away from Vicarage Road, Italian boss Mazzarri has urged his side to not take Sunderland lightly ahead of a hectic Christmas schedule.
“I saw the game against Chelsea, and I heard from some of their players after and they said it will be a very important game,” he said at his pre-match press conference.
“The proved to be a difficult rival against a great team like Chelsea so it won’t be an easy game.
“It will be very difficult and we have to go there to try and get the points.
“It is a new experience for me. I’m open to new experiences. This is ok for me but I will tell you later how easy it is. As long as we win I’m happy, it doesn’t matter if it’s Christmas.”
