Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris speaking to BBC Match of the Day: “Painful. It hurts to concede a big defeat at home like this so early in the first half, because the game was over after 45 minutes. 4-0 down at half-time is hard to explain. It is a strong reminder because when you drop your standards just by 10% your opponent can kill you, and that was the case in the first half.
"After that I think the lads tried to react and showed better energy with strong support from the fans, but it was not enough. At the end we were a bit disorganised [trying] to score at least once and then comes the fifth goal.
"We have different explanations. Is it individually? Is it collectively? Is it tactically? We have many options to explain this big defeat, but in the end, it is about our standards. When you are not at the level, this league is so demanding and you get punished.
"It has been a long and tough season. We can feel that we are a bit on the edge. It is hard to maintain and sustain the level but this is our job and we want to be proud of our season and our connection to the fans. It is not possible to give up, I don't think that was the case today but we started too slowly and they were really efficient. Their game plan was perfect and we did not adapt. It's a good lesson and important for the future."
On set-piece frailties: “We felt it last week against Villa, that those situations can hurt us, so we have strong work to do with the coaching staff. It is not only behind the scenes but on the pitch where you have to get better.”
On the fans: “They are impressive, probably better than us today to be fair. We are proud of their support. When it is tough, you have to feel the support of your fans and they were behind us. It is a big responsibility to give the right answer to the last four games we have had.”
Did you know?
- Sunderland have conceded more than three goals in back-to-back league games (also 4-3 vs Aston Villa) for the first time since September 1958 in the second tier (0-5 vs Swansea, 0-6 vs Sheffield Wednesday).
- Only Burnley (31) and Tottenham Hotspur (30) have conceded more goals in the Premier League in 2026 than Sunderland (27) – at the turn of the year, only Arsenal (12) and Manchester City (17) had conceded fewer goals in the top-flight than the Black Cats (18).
