Norwich City captain Grant Holt is full of confidence going into their clash with Sunderland.

Despite signing expensive stars, such as Steven Fletcher and Adam Johnson, Sunderland have won just one of their last eight League games.

"The Premier League doesn't respect names, reputations or ­history," said 31-year-old ­Norwich striker Holt.

"Only hard work and good football gets you points - and we are proof of that.

"Any team can get dragged into a scrap, if they get on a bad run of results. It's a cliche, but there really are no easy games for anybody.

"We've beaten Arsenal and Manchester United, which just shows how competitive the Premier League is.

"It is surprising to see teams like Sunderland and ­Newcastle struggling because they have so much quality and nobody really expected it.

"But, on the other hand, look at teams like West Brom and Swansea this season. Very few people would have predicted their good start.

"Things are going well for us at the moment. But our first aim still has to be that we make sure we stay in the division and beat the teams around us, like Sunderland."