Sunderland manager David Moyes has claimed that his side are "getting closer" to picking up their first win of the season.
The Black Cats remain rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table with only two points to their name so far this term after defeat to West Ham United on Saturday extended their winless start to nine games.
However, Moyes insists that he is remaining positive ahead of his side's EFL Cup clash with Southampton on Wednesday night.
"We went to West Ham and gave them a game. I think it was bad luck this weekend, but we didn't do enough to deal with it. We had worked really hard and played well in the second half. Overall there were good things and I'm sure it will improve," he told reporters.
"I think our performances have been improving slightly and we're getting closer to winning. We will keep at it. We're not daft but we think we've been close. We need to be winning soon but our focus is now on the cup. Our stats our getting better. To a lot it won't be noticeable but we're looking at it closely and the players are positive.
"Outside the top three or four [Southampton] are the team people are talking about. They must take a lot of credit for the way they're bringing players through their academy, but they have also signed well. We go to Southampton, who are playing very well, and we know it'll be a tough task, but we've drawn there already this season."
Sunderland's only wins so far this season have come in the EFL Cup, beating Shrewsbury Town and Queens Park Rangers to reach the fourth round.
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