SCOTLAND star Don Hutchison is "desperate" to mark his home debut for Sunderland with a victory over his old club West Ham United tonight.

The £2.5m close-season capture from Everton has started his new career on Wearside with away defeats at the hands of Manchester City and Ipswich Town - and after watching his new clubmates beat Arsenal in the opening game of the season he wants to experience the joy of winning at the Stadium of Light.

Hutchison, who was suspended for the curtain-raiser, wants to show the Sunderland fans that he can improve on his performances at Maine Road and Portman Road.

The 29-year-old Tynesider, who played a vital part in Scotland's 1-0 World Cup Qualifying Round victory over Latvia in Riga at the weekend, admitted: "My form for Sunderland in the two away games has been patchy - it is not nice to come into the team and not win a game.

"That is something I'm desperate to put right. It will be my first home game and I am looking forward to it - but it will be even better if we can win the three points."

Hutchison, who scored 11 goals in 35 League games for West Ham, believes that Sunderland proved against Arsenal that they can be a force in the Premiership.

He said: "It was a massive first game of the season against Arsenal, a team which will be battling it out for the Championship.

"I think we would have been happy with a point - but to beat them gave the lads a major boost.

"If we can beat Arsenal we can beat anyone in the Premiership."

Last season with his previous club, Everton, the Merseysiders never lost at Goodison Park until the last game of the season when Middlesbrough spoilt the unbeaten record.

"That was a tremendous record and it is something that the gaffer and the fans would like to see us achieve at the Stadium of Light - if we can do that we would be bound to have a good season because with the players we've got I'm sure we can win away games as well," said Hutchison.

Sunderland are likely to play their two new South American signings, centre-back Emerson Thome and the left-sided defender or midfielder Julio Arca tonight and Hutchison welcomes the highly-priced acquisitions.

He said: "It is nice to get new signings into the club because it gives the dressing room a lift and the fans a lift. I have played against Thome a few times - he is a big guy and a good defender - Chelsea wouldn't have signed him from Sheffield Wednesday if he couldn't play.

"There's no worries about him on that score, he is a good player."

Sunderland coach Bobby Saxton admits that victory over West Ham would come as a great confidence-booster before the formidable visit to Old Trafford on Saturday.

But he admits that Sunderland's early season form has been disappointing.

"It has been a poor start in terms of results, especially after beating Arsenal in the opening game, but it is too early to start looking at league tables."

Saxton knows that some supporters have not been happy about the performances at Manchester City and Ipswich, but he accepts the criticism.

He said: "If we haven't done the business then we are accountable.

"Everyone if entitled to their opinion and it will always be the same. A win against West ham would be a positive step and would give everyone a big boost."

"The start we've had is not a major worry - we've only played three games and half the team has been injured. Some of our experienced players have been missing, but there are no excuses."

The shoulder injury which forced the withdrawal of striker Kevin Phillips from the England squad last week has cleared up and Hutchison is also recovered from the dead-leghe received in Riga.

But goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen is still felling a knee injury and misses his third consecutive game.

Sunderland (from): Macho, Makin, Gray, Arca, Butler, Thome, Craddock, Roy, Thirlwell, Kilbane, Holloway, Summerbee, Williams, Phillips, Quinn, Dichio, Nunez, Oster, Reddy, Marriott.