Sunderland head coach Gus Poyet believes that snatching a victory over arch rivals Newcastle United on Sunday will be the "perfect" time to start winning.

The Black Cats are yet to pick up three points this season, leaving them at the bottom of the Premier League table after eight fixtures.

The Uruguayan coach began his reign at the North-East club with defeat when he witnessed his side lose 4-0 to Swansea City last Saturday.

"The only thing that matters is that it's the derby, it's Newcastle," the Shields Gazette quotes Poyet as saying.

"It's a perfect moment to win a game, to start winning, but on the other hand, we need to change and improve dramatically if we want to win."

Poyet replaced Paolo Di Canio, who was sacked five games into the season.