JAMIE CARRAGHER admits Liverpool face a “massive week” as they battle to get their campaign back on track.
Saturday’s 1-0 reverse at Sunderland was their third successive defeat and leaves Rafael Benitez’s side trailing in eighth place in the Premier League.
Darren Bent’s early goal was controversially allowed to stand despite the fact it was deflected in off a beach ball thrown from the away end, but Liverpool were lucky not to suffer a heavier defeat.
They have now lost four times in nine league games - twice as many defeats as they suffered in the whole of last season - and are seven points adrift of leaders Manchester United.
Lyon travel to Anfield for a vital Champions League clash tomorrow night before Liverpool entertain United in the league on Sunday.
Carragher knows it could be a defining week in Liverpool’s season and has called on his team-mates to show some character.
“We are going through a bad patch and we have to get out of it quickly,” he said.
“There are no secrets in football and it is back to the training ground to get ready for the game against Lyon.
“This was always going to be a massive week for us. We know we have good players and we are a good team. We have proved that over the last five years with this manager.
“We have to keep the belief in ourselves, keep going and it will turn around.
“The manager will stay calm because he has the experience and he knows in football you go through these spells. We have to show the character to come through it.”
Under the laws of the game, Bent’s strike should have been ruled out as the beach ball is deemed as “outside interference” but Carragher had no complaints.
The centre-back admitted Liverpool, who haven’t scored in over four and a half hours of football, deserved nothing out of the game.
“It was unfortunate and a bit of a freak goal, but I don’t want to take anything away from Sunderland. “ he added.
“It sums up that things are not happening for us at the moment.
“We played well at Chelsea and didn’t get much out of it and then on Saturday we concede that type of goal.
“I think Sunderland played very well but obviously we are not in great form at the moment.”
