Sunderland boss Dick Advocaat says staying up is "crucial" for the club.

The 67-year-old Dutchman will send his team into battle at Arsenal on Wednesday evening needing a maximum of one point from the 90 minutes at the Emirates Stadium and Sunday's final-day trip to champions Chelsea to end their fears of the drop.

He said: "For this club it is crucial to stay up, so everybody knows what they have to do for the next couple of years.

"This is a great club, a great stadium, the facilities here are brilliant, so everything is there to play on a different level to what they have done in the last five years."