Thank you for joining me, Seb Ward, today. Make sure to return for future games on Vavel, including two this afternoon in the way of Liverpool - Chelsea, and Crystal Palace - Manchester City.
FULL TIME: Sunderland 4 - 0 Cardiff City: The home team continued their dominance in the second half, with Giaccherini and Wickham adding to the scoresheet. They now rise to 17th place, outside the relegation zone, and Norwich slot into the vacant position. With a game in hand, they now look likely to stay up. (Photo courtesy of Telegraph)
94' - Cardiff have a corner in the last minute, but it comes to nothing.
93' - Gardner booked for a foul on Zaha.
90' - 4 minutes added on.
89' - Despite Cardiff being outclassed, their fans are standing by them, and singing their hearts out. They probably know what this result may well mean, though.
87' - CLOSE! Bellamy crosses from the left, and Kenwyne Jones can't quite get his head over it, and the ball sails over the crossbar.
85' - GOAL! Crossed in by Giaccherini and Wickham gets what he deserved, heading passed Marshall. 4-0.
85' - Wickham's pace and power earns him a corner.
83' - Borini booked, and now taken off for Bridcutt. Gardner also comes on for Johnson.
80' - Now Colback has backed his ability, but that one flies over. Sunderland so dominant it is unbelievable these two were only a place apart at the start of this game.
79' - Johnson plays in Giaccherini, who blasts on wide via a deflection.
77' - It's all over for Cardiff now. Sunderland have dragged the struggling Norwich into the relegation area, and this victory may well give the black cats the momentum they need, to stay in the Premier League.
76' - GOAL SUNDERLAND! Wonderful ball to Giaccherini from Borini, and he finishes fabulously. Booked for taking off his shirt in celebration.
75' - Confidence is flowing through Conner Wickham's veins, and his quick feet allow him to get a shot away.
73' - Campbell will now be replaced by Bellamy. Could he be Cardiff's saviour?
72' - Wickham's curling shot is blocked, and the rebound falls to the lively Colback, who drills the ball across the area. It is met by Borini but the shot is saved by Marshall at point-blank range.
70'- Alonso fouls Zaha, and the two come together in anger. Nothing more awared than a Cardiff costless kick.
68' - Great ball in by Johnson, Borini takes it down well, but almost surprised by his great control. The chance goes begging.
66' - Corner for Sunderland as a well timed tackle sees the ball out of play. Headed over, another corner to follow.
63' - CLOSE! Whittingham's costless kick deflects off the wall and nearly wrong foots Mannone. Good save to keep it 2-0.
62'- Mutch earns his team a costless kick. Good distance for Whittingham, could this be their chance? Kenwyne Jones is coming on for left back Fabio.
61' - Borini slashes at a great chance created by Colback. He needs to do better there, if Sunderland want to kill the game off completely. Having said that, a Cardiff goal will change this tie completely.
60' - Johnson has a wonderful chance to cross for Sunderland, but his attempt is just in front of Wickham.
58' - Sunderland happy to sit behind the ball as Cardiff struggle to break them down. The extra man is helping here.
57' - Mutch has a costless header, and really should score. Wasted opportunity. Still 2-0.
56' - Zaha, who came on at half time for Cardiff, gets them a corner.
54' - John O'Shea down in need of treatment.
53' - Another challenge flies in, this time from Wes Brown. The resulting costless kick is punched away by Mannone.
51' - Fabio booked for a blatant push on Larson. His anger nearly earns himself something more.
50' - Sunderland have a penalty appeal turned down, as Johnson goes down to a Théophile-Catherine shoulder barge.
49' - Borini gets a wicked amount of curl on his shot, but the ball goes about 5 yards wide.
48' - Sunderland controlling the game, playing the ball about with ease. Cardiff will need to weather these early moments if they wish to get anything from this game.
46' - Sunderland kick us off for the second half. Big half for Ole Gunnar Soskjaer. (SkySports)
HALF TIME: Sunderland 2 - 0 Cardiff City: A nightmare of a half for Cardiff, planting the game soley in Sunderland's hand. Great football from Sunderland stemmed from the buzz around the Stadium Of Light, and an excellent ball was too difficult to defend, and Wickham made it one-nil. Right at the end of the half, Cala misjudged a long ball, attempting to play it back to Marshall, and had to tug at Wickham. Although the striker didn't hit the floor, referee Phil Dowd pulled it back for a penalty, and Borini converted.
46 - Cala may have just single handedly thrown away his team's chances of staying in this game, and possibly the league. Hugely significant goal!
46 - Borini to take...and SCORES! 2-0!
45 - Center-back Cala misses the backpass and tugs on Wickham, giving away a penalty.
44 - RED CARD AND PENALTY TO SUNDERLAND!
43 - Cardiff working hard to try and salvage something before half time, but to no avail. Still, they control possession in these final few minutes.
42 - Cardiff put the ball into a dangerous area, and eventually get a throw in.
40 - Poor ball in by Johnson, and Sunderland are pressed all the way back to Mannone. Waste of a chance.
39 - But as Sunderland break, Colback is cynically fouled by Medel, and the offender is booked. Costless kick to Sunderland in a dangerous position.
38 - Those tackles have broken up the play, and allowed Cardiff some more possession.
37 - Late challenge by Vergini on Mutch as the ball springs away, causing him to jump into the tackle. This has turned into a very tasty encounter.
36 - Mutch then gets himself booked after an aerial battle.
35 - A coming together between Mutch and Cattermole gets the crowd going, but nothing given.
34 - CLOSE! Colback hits a shot just wide; Marshall always confident it would miss his goal.
33 - Total misjudgement of long ball by Cardiff, and Wickham gets a deflected shot away. Saved by Marshall.
30 - With that goal, Sunderland climb out of the relegation zone, as they have a better goal difference than Norwich.
28 - Sunderland looking for a second, but Marshall makes an easy catch from Johnson's cross.
26 - That was a superb header back across the keeper, and over two defenders. 1-0 Sunderland.
26 - GOAL! Connor Wickham score from Larson's outstanding cross!
25 - Corner to Sundeland, to be taken by Seb Larson
25 - Equal possession after 25 minutes: 50% each.
24 - Fabulous work from Alonso to keep an attack alive. The crowd is really getting going now. Sunderland on top.
22 - Cattermole penalised for challenge on Mutch. Definite costless kick, lucky not to be booked.
18 - Cardiff break with Dæhli. Eventually, it comes to Campbell in the box, and he has a penalty appeal. Totally accidental.
16 - Cowie volleys goalwards but slices it and the shot goes high and wide
15 - Wes Brown makes an important tackle, as Cardiff attack down the right flank. The throw-in results in a Cardiff corner.
13 - His short costless kick to Johnson falls apart and Cardiff regain possession
13 - Larson has a costless kick in Cardiff's half...
12 - The ball comes in from Whittingham, and he curls it to the back post, but Mannone is fouled in the process.
11 - Cardiff earn themselves a corner
10 - A good ball from Borini goes evades Wickham, and goes through to Marshall
9 - The game is very open in the early stages, as both team try and impose themselves.
8 - Cala gives away a needless ball, and Larsson's header is saved.
4' - Sunderland applying lots of early pressure, and Cardiff are sitting deep.
3' - Marshall has to make two saves. One from Wickham from a tight angle.
3' - Sunderland get a corner after a penalty box scramble
2' - Fabio concedes a foul for a high foot.
1' - Cardiff kick us off at The Stradium Of Light.
11:58: The teams emerge. Sunderland in their red and white stripes, and Cardiff in their blue away strip.
11:50: Just 10 minutes remain until kick off.
11:45: Cardiff have the second worst away record this season, having won just two games.
11:42: Phil Bardsley returns to the Sunderland team after a suspension.
11:35: Only 25 minutes until this relegation battle gets underway. The result will have massive impacts on all the teams in the bottom 6, most notably Norwich, who hang perilously above the drop zone. The loser of this game will suffer a huge psychological blow, and may well feel that their fate is sealed.
11:30: The history of this fixture has seen Sunderland win 11 of 28 games; that's 38%. However there have also been 10 draws, so that may well be on the cards too.
11:25: Sunderland will once again look to Connor Wickham for goals, as the on loan striker has three in his last two games. Both following a 11 game goal drought at Ipswich.
11:20: Phil Dowd will be refereeing today's match.
11:15: Cardiff City are without the injured Noone, who has without doubt been a stand out performer for
11:12: On the bench for Cardiff City - Lewis; Turner, Jones, Eikrem, Zaha, Bellamy, John.
11:10: On the bench for Sunderland - Bardsley, Gardner, Altidore, Giaccherini, Bridcutt, Scocco, Ustari.
11:05 - TEAM NEWS: Cardiff City - Marshall; Théophile-Catherine, Caulker (C), Cala, Fabio; Cowie, Medel, Whittingham, Dæhli; Mutch, Campbell.
11:04 - TEAM NEWS: Sunderland - Mannone, Vergini, Alonso, O'Shea (c), Brown, Cattermole, Larsson, Colback, Johnson, Borini, Wickham.
Peter Whittingham claimed before the game that "Everyone is raring to go. We all know what the job in hand is and what is required from us. We're going for the three points".
The reverse fixture of this game earlier on the season saw a 2-2 draw, and we can expect a similar close encounter today, at The Liberty Stadium.
Cardiff should not be overlooked either; an away win at Southampton is no easy feat, and a point last weekend against Stoke has helped them on their way.
Both teams come into this game buoyed by recent form which has seen them get four points in the last two games. More notably, Sunderland have yielded those four points from two games few people expected anything from: Chelsea and Manchester City. Not only have those two results scuppered things at the top of the table, but it has given Sunderland renewed hope that they can stay in the Premier League, as we head into the final few games of the season.
Welcome to this Live event on Vavel. I, Seb Ward, will be bringing all the latest news and commentary of Sunderland - Cardiff City, as we look at a game which is crucial at the bottom of the table.