Coventry host Sunderland as two points separate the Premier League's bottom five

Coventry City, 19th in the Premier League, host bottom club Sunderland at the Coventry Building Society Arena on Saturday (15:00 GMT). Only two points separate the five clubs from 16th to 20th, and all five play that day.

Two points, five clubs

Manchester United and Crystal Palace have seven points, Nottingham Forest and Coventry six, Sunderland five. United are 16th, ahead of Palace only on goal difference, and open Saturday's games at Chelsea (12:30 GMT). Forest, Coventry and Sunderland have scored six league goals each, the fewest in the division, while Palace have conceded 19, more than any other side. Bournemouth, in 13th, are only four points above Sunderland.

Coventry v Sunderland

Coventry beat Nottingham Forest and Newcastle in successive league games, then lost the next two: 3-1 at Tottenham and 1-0 at home to Fulham, who scored in the 80th minute. Three of their four home league games have ended in defeat. Head coach Frank Lampard said his side had been "more passive" against Fulham than in the three games before, and that it was "too early" to say Saturday's result could shape the season. Centre-back Bobby Thomas has "a small calf issue" and will be assessed before the game; if he misses out, Lampard sees "an opportunity, for sure" for Stephen Mfuni.

Sunderland have one point from their last five league games, a 0-0 draw with Leeds, and have yet to win away in the league this season (one draw, three defeats). Their cup week was brighter: head coach Régis Le Bris made 11 changes and his side still beat Brentford 3-2 on Wednesday to reach the Carabao Cup quarter-finals, and they have two wins and a draw from three Europa League games. Le Bris said Wilson Isidor "should" be back after missing five matches with a knock, while defender Dan Ballard and winger Romaine Mundle have not been cleared to travel. Dutch striker Brian Brobbey, scorer of three of Sunderland's six league goals, returned from a hamstring injury against Leeds. "They've won two games in the Premier League so it means they are competitive," Le Bris said of Coventry.

Sage's Palace go to Tottenham

Palace, 17th and one point above the relegation zone, visit Tottenham (17:30 GMT) after a 5-0 defeat at Brighton and a 2-0 home loss to Newcastle. According to the Guardian, head coach Pierre Sage could be sacked if Palace lose at Tottenham. A 1-0 win at Fulham on Wednesday took a rotated Palace side into the Carabao Cup quarter-finals, where they will meet Sunderland. Sage said Jean-Philippe Mateta, rested for that tie, is "ready to play and to start", while Ismaila Sarr is not expected back before the November international break. Tottenham, 14th, have won their last two league games, 3-1 against Coventry and 2-0 at Chelsea. "Every point smells good," Sage said.

Forest's trip to Brentford

Forest, 18th, have not won in four league games and drew 1-1 at Ipswich last time out. Manager Oliver Glasner, Sage's predecessor at Palace, is without Nicolo Savona and Igor Jesus, and Dan Ndoye, who has two of Forest's six league goals, is a doubt with hamstring fatigue. Brentford, sixth, have lost one of their four home league games and come off Wednesday's Carabao Cup exit against Sunderland. "I feel we're completely heading in the right direction," Glasner said.