Noah Sadiki has played down suggestions that anxiety is contributing to Sunderland’s struggles, insisting the club’s leaders must step up to help turn their form around.

The midfielder was asked whether players were becoming increasingly worried following the Europa League defeat to Dinamo Zagreb. However, he rejected that assessment and called for a collective response ahead of Chelsea’s visit.

Sunderland were booed after another frustrating evening at the Stadium of Light, with the defeat following their Premier League loss at Coventry City. Le Bris’ side are bottom of the league with five points from nine matches, while Thursday’s European outing brought further disappointment. For Sadiki, the challenge is to turn discussions about their problems into meaningful action on the pitch.

Asked whether players were feeling anxious or worried, and whether that could be contributing to mistakes, Sadiki said: “I don’t think so. I think it’s just a moment, like I said, where we need to stick together. It’s a little bit more difficult. Things are not going our way like it went last season. That’s now when you need to have your leaders, have the guys with character to step up. We have a game before the break, like I said, to react. That’s a big game now.”

Chelsea’s visit offers Sunderland another opportunity to respond before the international break, although Sadiki acknowledged that each defeat adds significance to the next fixture. The midfielder accepted the suggestion that Sunday’s game had become even bigger following the latest setback. He said: “Every time we lose, every game becomes bigger and bigger. Like I said, Chelsea is a big game. We have two or three days to reflect on what we did today. We have to give our best to the game.”

Sadiki was also challenged on the repeated calls for improvement following defeats to Bournemouth and Coventry. Captain Granit Xhaka had already spoken about the need to stop making mistakes, but Sunderland again left supporters frustrated against Dinamo. Sadiki admitted that talking through those problems has limited value unless performances change. “I don’t think talking solves anything,” he said. “If you don’t put the actions on the pitch, talking is good because you make them think of their actions, but if it doesn’t follow on the pitch, it’s a little bit useless.”

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The midfielder also acknowledged that this is the toughest period of his Sunderland career. His response underlined the disappointment within the squad, but he again stressed that explaining the situation would count for little without a reaction. Asked whether this was his most difficult spell at the club, he said: “Obviously, yes. I don’t think I lost that many times in a row since I’m here. Like I said, it’s a difficult moment. We need to react as a team. Talking is good. Me coming here in front of you guys to explain. It’s alright, but if the action doesn’t follow, it’s no point.”