Saturday 29 October 2016 08:09, UK
Sunderland will be targeting a first win at the 10th time of asking this season when they host Arsenal on Saturday, but Jack Rodwell will be looking to break a far longer duck without victory.
The midfielder has remarkably failed to win a single game he has started since signing for the Black Cats in 2014, a run now stretching back 32 Premier League games after their 1-0 loss at West Ham last weekend.
In fact, Rodwell hasn't actually been on the winning side from the start in a Premier League game since featuring for Manchester City against West Brom in May 2013 (City won 1-0).
It is the longest run of its kind in the history of the Premier League, having surpassed Darren Moore's previous record of 29 games without a win from the beginning of a spell at a Premier League club with Derby in 2007/08.
Third on the list is Gareth Bale, who was once regarded as an unlucky omen for Tottenham having failed to be on the winning side in his first 22 games at the club after joining in 2007.
Rodwell has started six games in all competitions for Sunderland so far this season, and they have been on the losing side in five of them so far.
Rodwell's last Premier League victory came in February 2016, when he came on as a substitute 15 minutes into Sunderland's 2-1 win over Manchester United.
Manager David Moyes took over at Sunderland the start of the season but has picked up just two points in nine games, leaving them at the foot of the Premier League table ahead of the visit of Arsenal live on Sky Sports this Saturday.
Only two sides in Premier League history have failed to win their first 10 games or more of the season and gone on to stay up (Derby failed to win in their first 13 in 2000/01, and Blackburn their first 11 in 1996/97).
Rodwell, however, has backed Moyes to turn their campaign around, despite admitting he believes the club have taken a backwards step since surviving under Sam Allardyce last season.
We have gone a bit backwards, but we are the ones who can put it right.
"We probably have gone a bit backwards," said Rodwell. "It's not easy when you are chopping and changing all of the time, as players, as managers, but that's no excuse.
"We have a great manager here and we need to do it on the pitch. It's the 11 players on the pitch who have to do it. We have gone a bit backwards, but we are the ones who can put it right.
"The manager will be bitterly disappointed and so are the players. But anyone can beat anyone this season if you put the hard work in."
