HE might have scored his second goal of the season last weekend, but Seb Larsson still concedes Sunderland need to increase their attacking threat if they are to build on their last two performances.

The Black Cats have found the back of the net on four occasions in the last two matches, but their Premier League tally for the season still stands at just 12, which is only slightly better than a goal a game.

Their commitment and effort could not be faulted as they claimed a 1-1 draw with Everton on Sunday, but aside from Larsson’s successful free-kick and a late headed effort from Wes Brown, they didn’t really test Tim Howard in the opposition goal.

After last month’s collapse at Southampton, it was important Sunderland steadied the ship and rediscovered their defensive solidity, something they have successfully achieved during the games against Crystal Palace and Everton.

But as Gus Poyet’s squad look ahead to matches against Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool in three of the first four games after the international break, Larsson accepts there is also a need to start improving things at the opposite end of the field.

“We’ve made ourselves hard to beat again, and the next thing is to add a bit more of a goal threat to our game,” said the experienced midfielder. “That’s probably the one thing we need to look to improve now.

“Sunday was a very tight game, with not too many clear-cut chances, so we need to try to threaten the opposition’s goal a little bit more if we can. We were trying to win the game against Everton, and we had chances towards the end, so at least that showed we’re heading in the right direction. But we have to do more.”

Larsson includes himself in that assessment, and it is telling that while Sunday’s strike still just made it two goals in 11 league appearances for the Swede this season, it was sufficient to make him Sunderland’s second leading scorer behind Steven Fletcher.

No other Black Cats midfielder has scored more than once, and a lack of goalscoring threat from midfield places increased pressure on whoever is filling the lone striker role in Poyet’s preferred formation.

Larsson has never really been a regular scorer throughout his Sunderland career, with his tally of seven Premier League goals during his first season on Wearside (2011-12) representing easily his best return for the club.

Given that he takes the majority of free-kicks, the 29-year-old accepts he should really be more prolific, and having curled home his first set-piece in almost three years at the weekend – his last free-kick goal came in Martin O’Neill’s first game in charge against Blackburn Rovers – he is determined to ensure he does not have to wait as long for his next success.

“It was nice, but those kind of goals need to come a bit more frequently than they have been,” he said. “It’s part of my game, and it’s been something I’ve tried to pride myself on ever since I’ve been here.

“But it’s been too long since the last one and I can’t afford to have such a big gap between this free-kick goal and the next one. Hopefully, there’ll be a few more to come this season.”

Larsson jetted out of Wearside in the wake of Sunday’s game to link up with the rest of the Sweden squad ahead of this week’s international matches with Montenegro and France, and he will break a long-standing club record if he appears in both games.

Larsson has won 37 caps as a Sunderland player, one short of the record tally set by legendary Irish centre-half Charlie Hurley in the 1950s and 60s.

He will equal Hurley’s record if he features against Montenegro in a Euro 2016 qualifier on Saturday, and will break it if he then goes on to appear in next Tuesday’s friendly with France.

“I’ve been told about the record,” said Larsson. “It’s not really a target as such, but if it happens, it will be a nice thing. Any kind of record you can be involved in is important, and I suppose it’ll say something about how long I’ve been playing with Sunderland.

“Hopefully, that’ll be the way people look at it. I’ve just signed a new deal in the summer, so I’m going to be here for a while. I’m enjoying things.

“There have been ups and downs, but that’s football and at the moment things are looking a bit more positive and we’re looking up the league rather than down it.”

* Sunderland’s home game with Liverpool on Saturday, January 10 has been selected for live television coverage and will now kick off at 12.45pm.