Adnan Januzaj: "I feel much better and fitter"

Sunderland midfielder Adnan Januzaj in action during his side's Premier League clash with Everton at the Stadium of Light on September 12, 2016
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Sunderland midfielder Adnan Januzaj says that he feels "much better and fitter" after starting against Chelsea in midweek.

Sunderland winger Adnan Januzaj has revealed that he is feeling "much better and fitter" after making his first league start in three months this week.

The 21-year-old - on loan from Manchester United - earned plaudits for his performance for the Black Cats in their 1-0 defeat to league leaders Chelsea on Wednesday.

Manager David Moyes had previously called upon the youngster to step up and show his "Manchester United quality" after overcoming an ankle injury, and Januzaj has confirmed that it has been a challenge accepted.

"It's a big thing for me to get games now and get going," he told The Chronicle. "It was very difficult because I had an injury and it was very hard for me to come back, so the 90 minutes were very good for me. Now I have to kick on on Saturday against Watford.

"Now I feel good in my legs. It was maybe only the last 10 minutes when (Cesar) Azpilicueta was running in front of me [that I found it difficult] because I've not had a long game [for a while]. Normally that never happens. When we had to put the balls in behind him it was much easier for me but I feel much better and fitter.

"If we win against Watford we want to kick on from there. We've shown we can win games and we've shown that when big teams come to Sunderland we can make it very hard for them to play against us. It was very hard for Chelsea. We give everything and we all have to stick together. It won't be easy but we can all do it if we do it as a team. We all have to work hard in every game and take as many points as possible."

Sunderland could move to one point from safety with victory over the Hornets on Saturday.

Marko Arnautovic and Jan Kirchhoff in action during the Premier League match between Stoke City and Sunderland on April 30, 2016
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TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Chelsea17141235112443
2Liverpool17114241202137
3Manchester CityMan City17113336201636
4Arsenal17104338191934
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs1796229121733
6Manchester UnitedMan Utd178632417730
7Southampton176651716124
8West Bromwich AlbionWest Brom176562321223
9Everton176562121023
10Bournemouth176382328-521
11Stoke CityStoke175661924-521
12Watford176382129-821
13West Ham UnitedWest Ham175481931-1219
14Middlesbrough174671619-318
15Leicester CityLeicester174582329-617
16Burnley1752101628-1217
17Crystal Palace1743102832-415
18Sunderland1742111528-1314
19Swansea CitySwansea1733112037-1712
20Hull City1733111436-2212
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