While bottom-placed Sunderland is officially relegated, Boro know that should the dream scenario come true over the next few days, they will be within three points of safety – emphasis on the word “dream”, because it will take an awful lot for that to come to fruition
Browsing: Sunderland
Two matches, including the one involving Sunderland, sent the team down the ladder
Sunderland’s 1-0 defeat to Middlesbrough on Wednesday was their seventh loss in their last nine matches
Little was expected of Anichebe when he joined the club as a free agent in September
The draw ensures Slaven Bilic’s side are all but safe from the drop, but David Moyes’ Sunderland still look set for the Championship next season
The Black Cats have won just once in 2017 and are 10 points from safety, though they do have a game in hand over 17th-placed Hull City
Anichebe was a crucial part of the Black Cats side that recovered from a wretched start to the season, a promising run of form in late November and early December raising hopes of yet another great escape
The Black Cats are rooted to the bottom of the Premier League, 10 points from safety, and they only have seven games remaining to retain their top flight status
Zlatan Ibrahimovic opened the scoring for United before Sebastian Larsson was dismissed for Sunderland just before the break
Sunderland are currently 10 points from safety and with the team having failed to score in their last six games, it would be difficult for anyone to begrudge a change in the dugout, but it could be argued that a game of this importance is what David Moyes may need to spark a change in mindset in the dressing room
The Black Cats entertain Manchester United on Sunday lying 10 points adrift of safety with just eight games remaining and having won only one of their last 13
Akpom will join Iwobi in a new generation of English-born or English-raised Nigerian players
The Nigeria international has been sidelined for the last two months, with his last appearance coming in the 2-0 loss to West Bromwich Albion on January 21
The 28-year-old striker suffered a knee ligament injury in his side’s 2-0 defeat to West Bromwich Albion in January
Anichebe’s knee injury was a much more serious problem and it came as a bodyblow to Sunderland, who were desperate to see him reprise his partnership with Jermain Defoe
It could provide the Black Cats with a huge fitness boost ahead of their busy run in during the last two months of the campaign as they try to avoid relegation
The match was played on Sunday
Lookman, who was in action for 60 minutes, was denied several goal opportunities by returnee Jordan Pickford early in the game
This will be Moyes’s second game back at Goodison Park since leaving Everton in 2013
Anichebe’s introduction into the starting XI heralded the Black Cats’ best spell of the season, as they won four games out of seven between the beginning of November and Christmas