Pressure mounting at Sunderland: Lorik Cana

Cana spoke out after Sunderland were denied their first Premier League win since last November thanks to a last-gasp equaliser in the 1-1 draw at Portsmouth on Tuesday in what he called the "biggest disappointment of the season". Sunderland will be out of action this weekend and Cana is hoping that Steve Bruce's team can use the time wisely to re-group in time for their visit to Arsenal the following Saturday. Premier League Round-up: Liverpool beat Hull and Chelsea see off West Ham"There is a lot of pressure on us, but we are proud to be professionals and to play for this club and must go and show that," Cana said. "We have a free weekend and maybe that is good. It is a hard season in the Premier League and now we can think about what has happened. "We have a very difficult game after that at Arsenal and then another big home game against Fulham (Sunday, Feb 28)." Sunderland have not won in the league since they beat Arsenal at the Stadium of Light, but Cana believes their long wait for a victory should have come at Portsmouth until Aruna Dindane cancelled out Darren Bent's first-half penalty deep into stoppage time at Fratton Park. The hosts had been reduced to 10 men when Ricardo Rocha was sent off early on for bringing down Bent for the spot-kick, but Sunderland lost momentum when Lee Cattermole was dismissed following a reckless challenge and he was later followed down the tunnel by David Meyler who was ordered off for violent conduct. "If we had stayed 11 players against 10, it is impossible for Portsmouth to score," Cana said. "We just had to play the game with discipline, keep the ball and the chances would come. "After the red card for Catts the game changed. It was the biggest disappointment of the season and it was our fault. "I was not in a good position to see if Catts deserved to be sent off, but it happened and a game we should have been able to win has ended with only a draw." Cana will be glad to see the back of Portsmouth, who also knocked his team out of the FA Cup last month. "We have had two games in the league now against Portsmouth and conceded equalisers in injury-time in both games," Cana said. "Four points have been thrown away and they make a big difference. There are still 13 games to play and our season is not finished. It can improve or it can stay difficult."

Source: Telegraph