Le Bris: Sunderland rediscovered their identity with victory over Chelsea

Sunderland head coach Régis Le Bris expressed his satisfaction at his side "reconnecting with their identity" after a hard-fought 1-0 win over Chelsea.

Sunderland ended a 7-match winless run in the Premier League thanks to Enzo Le Fée's penalty in the 36th minute, and the result lifted them off the bottom of the table. Having been booed by their own supporters after a 2-0 home defeat to Dinamo Zagreb in the Europa League in midweek, the Black Cats saw the victory as a crucial response before the international break.

Sunderland defended compactly throughout and gave Chelsea no way through, and they also came close to extending their lead late on through Wilson Isidor and Chemsdine Talbi.

Speaking after the match, Régis Le Bris said: "It was very important to win again before the international break. The 3 points are vital in terms of the league, but reconnecting with our identity and with our supporters was just as valuable. The more we show this kind of football on the pitch, the more our fans get behind us. It is like a cycle that lifts the energy in the stadium. The fight on the pitch was really good. I am happy with the three points, but there is still a long way to go."

With this victory, Sunderland have beaten Chelsea in three consecutive matches for only the second time in their history. The Black Cats last achieved the feat between December 1999 and March 2001.

Enzo Le Fée, scorer of the only goal of the game, said he was proud of the way his team had picked themselves up, but stressed that they would not become complacent while still close to the relegation zone:

"Wins like this show our togetherness. The important thing is to keep it going and for our supporters to see us fighting like this. It is a huge three points. We know that when we compete well and win our duels, the stands become even more passionate. That is exactly what we needed. The first thing we wanted to get right was the fight and the belief. Everyone in the dressing room believes we can turn it around.

We know that in football there can be hard times as well as good times, but sometimes you have to suffer to enjoy the best moments. We will keep fighting until the end, and this game showed that we are on the right path. When you are going through a bad spell, everything feels very fragile, and you cannot let your concentration drop even by one per cent. Even when you are tired, you have to stay focused until the very last moment. We are not celebrating. We are very happy, but we are still close to the bottom of the table. We will have a chance to rest a little during the international break. We are happy to have won, but we have to give more in every game."