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

Sunderland came away from Brighton with a clean sheet and a hard-earned point on Saturday, and head coach Régis Le Bris felt the stalemate was a fair outcome after his side withstood late pressure from the hosts.

Despite being depleted by the Africa Cup of Nations, the Black Cats produced a strong display for large periods of the match. Brighton were also missing several key players through injury, suspension and illness.

Sunderland created chances during the middle stretch of the game but were unable to make them count, and it was the home side who finished the contest on the front foot.

Le Bris praised his players’ defensive resolve in the closing stages, highlighting their ability to protect the penalty area and preserve a valuable clean sheet.

“The mood in the dressing room was a bit disappointed that we didn’t win, which is a good sign for the future,” he said. “We had two phases in the game.

Up to around 65 or 70 minutes, we were dominant, especially for an away side. We showed quality and strong character, controlled the ball and created chances.

“When you don’t score away from home during that period, you know the opponent will push until the end. Brighton were strong in the final 20 to 25 minutes, but we stayed organised in a deep block and kept the clean sheet.

They put in a lot of crosses, as expected, and we were ready for that. The players showed real determination to defend the box and the goal, and they did that very well.”

Habib Diarra made a brief return late on after recovering from a groin injury and will now link up with Senegal for the Africa Cup of Nations.

Le Bris confirmed the midfielder’s minutes would be carefully managed, with the expectation that he will return in peak condition and ready to challenge for a starting place.

“We were pleased to see him complete the whole rehab process,” Le Bris added. “That appearance was the final step, and now he is ready to play.

He will go with his national team, where his involvement will be managed progressively. After AFCON, he should be back with us at 100 per cent and in good shape.”

Meanwhile, the Premier League Match Centre has confirmed that Dan Ballard was correctly shown a yellow card following a late challenge on Charalampos Kostoulas during the closing stages of the goalless draw.

The incident was reviewed by VAR for possible serious foul play, but officials ruled that the contact was only glancing and upheld referee Darren England’s original decision.