Régis Le Bris issues honest verdict on Sunderland’s draw at Brighton and confirms next steps for Habib Diarra

Sunderland earned a valuable point and a clean sheet with a hard-fought draw away at Brighton on Saturday, a result head coach Régis Le Bris felt was deserved after a resilient defensive display.

Despite being depleted by several absences due to the Africa Cup of Nations, the Black Cats produced a strong performance for much of the match. Brighton were also missing key players through injury, suspension and illness, and Sunderland largely controlled proceedings for over an hour. However, a lack of cutting edge in the final third meant they were unable to take advantage of their chances, allowing the hosts to apply sustained pressure late on.

Le Bris praised his side’s character and organisation as they withstood Brighton’s late push to secure the draw.

“The mood in the dressing room was slightly disappointed that we didn’t win, which is a positive sign for the future,” he said. “We had two very different phases of the game. For the first 65 or 70 minutes we were dominant, especially away from home. We controlled the ball, showed good quality and created opportunities.

“When you don’t score away from home, you expect the opposition to push until the end. Brighton were strong in the final 20 to 25 minutes, but overall a draw was probably a fair result.”

Le Bris was particularly pleased with Sunderland’s defensive resilience as Brighton relied heavily on crosses late in the game.

“We stayed consistent with our deep block and kept a clean sheet,” he added. “They crossed a lot, as we expected, and we were prepared. The players showed real determination to defend the box and protect the goal, and they did that very well.”

Habib Diarra made a brief return from a groin injury in the closing stages before departing to represent Senegal at the Africa Cup of Nations. Le Bris confirmed the midfielder’s workload would be carefully managed, with the expectation that he will return ready to compete for a starting place.

Meanwhile, the Premier League Match Centre confirmed that Dan Ballard’s yellow card for a late challenge on Charalampos Kostoulas was checked by VAR and upheld, with the contact deemed glancing and not reckless.

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