Jack Rodwell has challenged his Sunderland teammates to drag the Black Cats out of trouble after admitting they have gone "backwards."
Sunderland are marooned at the foot of the Premier League table after Saturday's late 1-0 defeat at West Ham left them five points adrift of safety and without a victory nine games into the campaign.
After finishing last season with just one defeat in 11 matches under former manager Sam Allardyce, they now face an uphill battle under his successor David Moyes.
However, Rodwell insists it is down to the players to put things right as they prepare for Saturday's home clash with Arsenal, which follows a midweek EFL Cup trip to Southampton.