DAVID MOYES is delighted with Victor Anichebe’s blossoming relationship with Jermain Defoe, although the Sunderland manager accepts he will have to strike the correct balance between defence and attack as he prepares for Saturday’s home game with Leicester City.

The Black Cats take on the reigning champions having returned to the foot of the table as a result of last weekend’s 2-0 defeat at Liverpool, but while the Anfield reverse ended a two-game winning run, the visitors’ performance on Merseyside maintained the progress that had been evident against Bournemouth and Hull.

Anichebe’s elevation to the starting line-up has been a key factor in Sunderland’s recent improvement, with the striker having scored three goals in the space of two games before failing to find the target against Liverpool.

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He has provided some valuable support to Defoe, as well as offering a goalscoring threat of his own, even though he has spent most of his time playing in a wide-attacking role rather than straight down the middle.

That wider role comes with defensive responsibilities attached, with Moyes having accepted it is all-but-impossible to play two out-and-out strikers in a straight-forward 4-4-2 formation in the Premier League.

However, while Anichebe will be expected to protect those playing behind him against Leicester, his primary role will be to support Defoe and ensure Sunderland carry more of an attacking threat than they were able to muster in most of their games in the first three months of the season.

“Victor was always going to be part of what we were doing,” said Moyes, who signed Anichebe as a free agent after Sunderland failed to make an attacking acquisition in the final few days of the summer transfer window.

“To go with two centre-forwards in modern football is very hard because so many teams are playing in another way, but we can use Victor where he does not always play through the middle.

“We have to make sure we are strong enough defensively, and at the moment we are probably not strong enough defensively to be that positive and open all the time. But we are happy to be able to get forwards on to the pitch.”

Moyes has been delighted with Anichebe’s impact in the last few weeks, and has been similarly impressed with Billy Jones’ performances since returning from injury.

Jones was not involved in the opening seven league games, and appeared to be behind summer signings Javier Manquillo and Donald Love in the battle for the right-back slot.

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However, he came off the bench in the 2-0 defeat at Stoke City, made his first start of the season in the EFL Cup defeat at Southampton at the end of October, and has not looked back since.

He might lack some of the attacking refinements of Patrick van Aanholt on the opposite flank, but he has overlapped effectively in the last few games and added some welcome solidity on the right-hand side of Sunderland’s back four.

“Billy has been playing well,” said Moyes. “His form has been very good, although I have not been surprised.

“When I came into the club, there was a feeling that Billy had not done that well. I had known him, not personally, but I had watched him a lot at Preston and West Brom earlier in his career, and always thought he was a ‘Steady Eddie’ type of player – he wouldn’t let you down too often.

“Everybody told me in the summer we were desperate for a right-back, so we addressed that. But it was only his injuries that were holding Billy back.”

* Sunderland season ticket holders can get a free ticket for next week’s Checkatrade Trophy second-round game with Wolves.

The Black Cats’ Under-21 side head to Molineux on Monday, December 5 (7pm) after progressing to the knock-out stage of the competition, and season card holders can obtain one ticket free of charge.

Free tickets will be available from midday today until 4pm on Friday, December 2, and are available from the Stadium of Light ticket office or by calling 0871 911 1973.