Le Bris on progress, 'working-class' Hume and Liverpool

Sunderland head coach Régis Le Bris believes his side’s performance in Sunday’s 2-0 defeat at Arsenal underlined the “positive” trajectory of the Black Cats’ early-season development, insisting the gap between his team and the Premier League’s elite is narrowing even if the final score-line suggested otherwise.

Speaking ahead of Wednesday’s meeting with Liverpool at the Stadium of Light (20:15 GMT), the Frenchman praised his players for executing the game plan they had rehearsed, highlighting an improved mid-block and aggressive high press that limited the Gunners to speculative efforts from distance.

“We were bold and aggressive in our high press,” Le Bris said. “Our deep press was good as well, but they found solutions with shots from outside the box. The main difference was the level of threat—they created five or six chances while we made one and a half. It is positive as we know where we are in our journey.”

The loss was only Sunderland’s third in 11 league outings and maintained an eye-catching home record that sees them unbeaten on Wearside this term, a statistic that places the club alongside European heavyweights Barcelona, Atlético Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus and Napoli.

Le Bris, however, warned against complacency, stressing that success can breed vulnerability.

“We built strong foundations but it’s always a reset,” he said. “The next challenge is the toughest.”

Liverpool, arriving on the back of a vibrant attacking run, present precisely that test. Le Bris acknowledged the visitors’ “X-factor” in individual quality, noting that “one player can make a difference” in ways tactical preparation cannot always neutralise. Yet he urged his squad to embrace the occasion, insisting home momentum can tilt the balance.

“It’s a good opportunity to win points once again,” he said. “It’s really important to be brave, ambitious and use this energy from the crowd to build momentum, sustain momentum.”

Away form remains the next frontier. While Sunderland have tasted victory twice on the road, draws have been frequent and chances have gone begging. Le Bris wants greater ruthlessness.

“In two or three games we had the opportunity to score away but didn’t,” he said. “The next stage is more efficiency.”

Team news is relatively upbeat: January arrival Nilson Angulo is available for selection, giving Le Bris another attacking option as he plots a first league win over Liverpool since 2016.

In the absence of club captain Granit Xhaka, full-back Trai Hume will continue to wear the armband. Le Bris lauded the Northern Irish international as the embodiment of Sunderland’s working-class identity.

“Sunderland belongs to a working-class community and Trai is a good example of earning things on the pitch,” he said. “He is really well balanced, versatile, intense. He’s able to wake up the crowd as well. His speeches are always good before the game.”

With confidence rising and a raucous Stadium of Light expected, Le Bris sees no reason to set limits on what his evolving side can achieve against Jürgen Klopp’s visitors.

“The level in the Premier League is absolutely fantastic,” he admitted. “But so far we have been really good, and we want to keep showing that.”