Is Jobe Bellingham coming back to Sunderland?
Chemsdine Talbi hailed Sunderland’s incredible supporters after his 94th-minute winner at Stamford Bridge
The 20-year-old winger, who netted his first goal for the Black Cats in spectacular fashion, described the result as a “great performance” and paid tribute to the travelling fans who created a raucous atmosphere in west London. “We are really happy,” Talbi said. “We did a great performance today, and I’m happy with my first goal at Stamford Bridge. I’m really happy for the team – we did a great performance and I’m really happy.”
Reflecting on his match-winning strike, Talbi revealed that Sunderland had worked on similar situations in training and that his calm finish was no accident. “We saw the goalkeeper is really tall, and I think with a tall goalkeeper, you need to shoot on the ground,” he said. “I did it perfectly, I think.”
But it was his message to the Sunderland supporters that stood out. “I want to thank the fans – they are really incredible,” Talbi said. “I think they showed it again. For me, they’re the best fans in the Premier League.” He added: “It’s a long trip home, but I hope they enjoy it because they deserve it. They pushed us the whole game, and we could feel that energy on the pitch.”
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Talbi also spoke about the squad’s mindset after the victory moved Sunderland to second in the Premier League table. “We have the same mentality and the same aim – to stay in the Premier League,” he said. “But more than that, I think we have a great team, great staff and great quality. Second is nice, but it’s not the end of the season. We need to keep going like this and get more points.”
After just a few months on Wearside, Talbi’s words underline how quickly he has embraced the club and its supporters – and how determined he is to repay their faith. “For me, the fans are the best in the Premier League,” he repeated. “We play for them.”
What did Régis Le Bris say after Sunderland’s win at Chelsea?
After the game, Le Bris said: "It's a good performance, especially after the early goal. "We found the right balance with quality on the ball and the ability to defend high when possible and set a deep block, connected, strong, hard to beat to protect our goal. We are discovering a new league, a new squad. What we can control is how we're playing, the energy, and the game plan we can define for every game. After that, we can see."If it's possible to win, do it."
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He added: "We still have a very young squad with limited experience. They have to learn from different situations."It's important to grab this opportunity when it's possible. The opponent is so talented that they can change the game, but today it was possible, and we played well to get the three points." On Xhaka, Le Bris said: "Xhaka is the captain and sets the standards every day. On the pitch, he's a really good footballer, enjoys driving the squad. It's like a second coach on the pitch."
Sunderland are next in action against Everton in the Premier League at the Stadium of Light next Monday evening as Le Bris’ side look to build on their superb start to the season following promotion from the Championship last term.
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