Sunderland boss Paolo Di Canio feels that his side "relaxed too much" in their game with Aston Villa following back-to-back wins in the Premier League.
The Black Cats were hammered 6-1 at Villa Park which dragged them back into the fight at the bottom of the table, as they are now just five points clear of the relegation zone.
Di Canio told the club's official website: "After two good wins, and the results we saw for Wigan and Newcastle [last weekend], we relaxed too much.
"It's clear that is true. We have to remember that if we don't perform like we can, we can receive a big slap every time.
"We must make sure we drop back to how we were over the previous three weeks."
Sunderland host Stoke City in a crunch match at the Stadium of Light on Monday.
