Sunderland star reveals Sam Allardyce's training method that was key to Aston Villa win

THERE was no chance of Sunderland freezing in this relegation dogflight after spending the previous few days shivering in an ice chamber.

 

Two-goal Sunderland hero Jermain Defoe celebrates after the 3-1 win over Aston Villa

 

Sam Allardyce will go to any lengths to give his players an edge in their fight for survival, and two-goal hero Jermain Defoe reckons his cold and calculating trick was the key to the Black Cats' first win in six outings.

"We have been using a cryotherapy chamber," he said. "The manager is a big believer and he loves it.

"It's like a sauna but -140C. You go in for two minutes to speed up recovery. It's pretty horrible and difficult going in there when you know it's so cold.

"But mentally, when you know something helps, you have got to do it and to be fair, no one has pulled out.

 

"It showed in the game. You could see our energy was good."

No one's more than Defoe himself who must now surely have sealed a regular starting place with his ninth and 10th - and arguably most important - goals of the season.

Allardyce has been shuffling his cards in an attempt to spark a revival which has consigned the 33-year-old to bench duty at times.

But Defoe's lively display and more crucially his goals reminded his manager that despite his advancing years, he remains the ace in the pack,

"Age is just a number," he said. "I still feel fit and sharp and can do the same things I could do years ago, which is always important.

"I'd love a run in the team. I always say if I get chances around the box, I will score a high percentage of them.

"As a forward, it is all about confidence and I have got it right now."

Full-back Patrick van Aanholt's deflected effort after half-an-hour had given the Black Cats the lead against the run of play before Carles Gil's 63rd-minute goal-of-the-season contender had Villa dreaming of a first win since August.

But Defoe always looked the player most likely to settle this contest and after toying with Joleon Lescott, he lashed home a left-foot shot between near post and Brad Guzan before sealing the points at the death.

"I'm a goalscorer and am happy to carry the burden of scoring goals," he said. "I have always had it. Whether at the top or bottom, you are going to have that pressure.
 

"Forwards are judged on goals. If you want to win the league, finish in the top four or stay up, you have to score goals. As a goalscorer, I have to score the goals to help this team survive and that's fine by me."

Rock-bottom Villa looked a bedraggled outfit long before the final whistle with Jack Grealish an anonymous figure on his return to the side.

And it didn't get much better afterwards either with Remi Garde refusing to shake Allardyce's hand in a petty tit-for-tat snub because the Sunderland boss hadn't welcomed him before kick-off.

Then a crestfallen Garde, who failed to attend the mandatory post-match press conference, had to ask a club steward directions to the team bus.

She didn't recognise him and the bus hadn't yet arrived, meaning he was left standing alone, looking very awkward.

Aston Villa boss Remi Garde refused to shake Sam Allardyce's hand at the final whistle

 

While most Villa players seem resigned to their fate, full-back Aly Cissokho insists they won't be throwing in the towel.

"The situation is plain to see," he said. "We are at the bottom and it does not look good.

"This is not easy for any of us but we are not finished whatever anyone says.

"Everybody is sad because we care. We lost a game we badly wanted to do well in.

"We know what everyone is thinking but while we have a chance, we fight. We fight for the club, for the fans, fight as professionals and of course we have our own pride."

SUNDERLAND (4-2-3-1): Mannone 6; Jones 5, O'Shea 6. Brown 6, Van Aanholt 6; Cattermole 6, M'Vila 7; Watmore 5 (Graham 56, 5), Johnson 6 (Coates 89), Borini 5 (Toivonen 80); Defoe 7. Booked: Brown, Borini, Cattermole. Goals: Van Aanholt 30, Defoe 72, 90.

NEXT UP: Arsenal (a) FAC, Sat.

ASTON VILLA (4-3-3): Guzan 5; Hutton 5 (Kozak 76), Richards 5, Lescott 5, Cissokho 5; Bacuna 6, Gueye 4, Veretout 5; Gil 6, Gestede 5, Grealish 4 (Traore 57, 5; Sinclair 89). Subs: Okore, Clark, Richardson, Bunn. Booked: Hutton, Traore, Gil, Gestede. Goal: Gil 63.

NEXT UP: Wycombe (a) FAC, Sat.

Referee: Craig Pawson (South Yorkshire).