Le Bris hails Sunderland’s spirit in Everton draw
Régis Le Bris praised Sunderland’s response and second-half display as the Black Cats earned a deserved point in a 1-1 Premier League draw with Everton.
Iliman NDiaye handed Everton the lead inside 15 minutes, dancing past several Black Cats defenders before finishing confidently.
Despite a sluggish first half, the Lads responded valiantly after the break and were level just 42 seconds into the second period.
Wilson Isidor went close twice before strong penalty appeals were waved away, after Michael Keane appeared to handle Noah Sadiki’s cross inside the box.
The result lifts Sunderland back up to fourth in the Premier League table and extends their unbeaten home start to the 2025–26 campaign.
Speaking post-match, Le Bris said: “It is a good point in the end. We didn’t start well, and they were better than us for the first 30–35 minutes.
“They are a good side with many threats. They have the ability to exploit our turnovers, and we were not consistent enough in the first part of the game to be competitive.
“We switched on in the last part of the first half, and the second half was much better - we probably deserved to score a second goal.
“It was really important to score the goal at the start of the second 45. It gave us momentum - Granit drove us on in important moments, showed quality to get his goal, and was important for us once again.
“We will face different scenarios this season. Sometimes you don’t know why, but you can switch it. We are still connected with our ideas, and that was how we got back into this game.
“With our fans, when we can generate positive actions, we feel their intensity. It wasn’t enough for the second goal, but I hope it will be the case next time.”
Highlights: Sunderland 1-1 Everton
Granit Xhaka: 'It’s nice to score the first one'