Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris is choosing to ride the wave of his team's impressive Premier League campaign, following a hard-fought goalless draw away at Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday 20 December 2025.
Black Cats Show Resilience Amidst AFCON Exodus
The point at the Amex Stadium, earned despite the absence of several key players called up for the Africa Cup of Nations, extended Sunderland's strong start to life back in the top flight. The result took the Black Cats to 27 points from their opening 17 matches, building on the momentum from their derby victory over Newcastle United the previous weekend.
French coach Le Bris, who guided the club to promotion via the Championship play-offs last season, was forced into four changes. Noah Sadiki, Chemsdine Talbi, Reinildo Mandava, and Bertrand Traore all departed for international duty, with midfielder Habib Diarra set to join Senegal, making it five absentees.
"We won 26 points before AFCON, which is important and a big achievement," Le Bris stated. "Now it's really clear that we will be a bit less composed because we have less players. The players who didn't play so far will need time to step up."
A Game of Few Chances on the South Coast
The match itself was a largely uneventful affair, with the clearest opportunity falling to Sunderland defender Omar Alderete. His powerful header just after half-time was brilliantly tipped onto the crossbar by Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen.
Le Bris analysed the performance, saying, "We had two parts in this game, probably until 65, 75 minutes we were dominant. We had opportunities to score... We stayed consistent and kept this clean sheet."
Brighton Boss Unconcerned by Winless Run
For Brighton, the stalemate marked a fourth consecutive game without a victory, prompting a smattering of boos from the home support at full-time. Seagulls manager Fabian Hurzeler, also missing several first-team regulars including Lewis Dunk and Danny Welbeck, remained defiant.
"Why should I be concerned because the table is so close?" Hurzeler asked. "Sunderland are fifth now and they are three points ahead of us." He acknowledged his side's profligacy, with midfielder Yasin Ayari wasting their best chances, but insisted the focus was on returning to winning ways.
Sunderland will now look to cap off a memorable 2025 when they host Leeds United at the Stadium of Light next weekend, aiming to solidify their surprising position in the upper half of the Premier League table.
