Sunderland have won three of their last four games to turn around their season.
Speaking to the Chronicle, Sunderland midfielder Sebastian Larsson says they never lost belief that they could escape from trouble this season.
The Black Cats made a disastrous start to the campaign, going without a win in their first ten games.
They have turned things around in their last four games, though, picking up three wins in the process.
Their latest came against champions Leicester City over the weekend, with an own goal from Robert Huth and a strike from Jermain Defoe securing all three points.
The result moved Sunderland off the bottom of the table and just a point behind West Ham United in 17th place.
It is an impressive turnaround, one that many did not see coming, but Larsson says the squad never believed they could not escape.
“We never totally lost our belief,” he told the Chronicle.
“I think we have drawn a bit of strength from some of our previous campaigns when we have had very poor starts, although this one was as bad as probably any of them.
“It is still so early in the season, I have heard people giving us no chance. There might be some who still do that; it’s up to us to prove them wrong.”
The midfielder has however insisted that their turnaround in form does not mean they are out of trouble just yet.
The bottom of the table is tightly compacted, to say the least, with just three points separating bottom placed Swansea City and West Ham in 17th.
It means David Moyes’ team cannot rest on their laurels and Larsson says they do not have any excuses left.
“That’s three wins in four but it is by no means put us out of trouble. At least it has given everyone a lift,” he added.
“There’s new-found belief in the dressing room and the table looks a lot better compared to a few weeks ago when it was pretty grim reading.
“It’s there now for everyone to see that we can do it after three wins in four, it is no mean feat in the Premier League. We are now proving we can win games, so no more excuses.”
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