Regis Le Bris saluted Sunderland’s “strong character”, insisting “many teams would give up” following their inspired turnaround against Bournemouth.
The Black Cats recorded their first victory in four Premier League games, after overturning a 2-0 deficit to prevail 3-2 in a five-goal thriller at the Stadium of Light.
Sunderland found themselves 2-0 down after 15 minutes, following Amine Adli’s opener and Tyler Adams’ spectacular 45-yard lob.
However, Enzo Le Fee’s penalty and a Bertrand Traore strike got them back on level terms, while Brian Brobbey’s winner means they came from two or more goals down to win a Premier League game for the first time.
“I’m really happy because coming from 2-0 down and winning is a big achievement,” Le Bris said. “It shows this team has strong character, they are never beaten and want to fight. Many teams would give up, but that wasn’t the case for us today.
“This league is really demanding. You make two mistakes and are punished. With the ball, we are good, so just keep pushing. We were able to hit their defence, and it was important to be clinical in the box.
“I think here, we have a great energy in the stands. If we give a lot on the pitch, then they will react. We deserved to win in the end. It’s positive to start this week with three points. It’s an exciting league with tough challenges, but we want those challenges.”
Impact. pic.twitter.com/gM5XuW4Ddq
— Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) November 29, 2025
Meanwhile, Brobbey, who scored the winning goal just six minutes after coming on, paid tribute to the Sunderland supporters, with the Black Cats still yet to taste defeat on home soil this season.
“We always keep fighting for each other until the very end, and that’s what we did today,” he added. “It feels really good to score the winning goal, so I’m happy.
“The fans are like the 12th man, they are really behind you, so it gives you a lot of confidence to keep going.”
As for Bournemouth, they are now without a win in four Premier League games.
The Cherries’ frustration boiled over in the dying moments, when Lewis Cook was sent off for violent conduct. Yet, Andoni Iraola felt referee Tim Robinson “lost control of the game”.
“We’re disappointed,” he said. “We knew the game was going to be difficult, and when you are 2-0 up and playing well, you want to finish it, but it was definitely too early.
“The momentum of the game changes with the penalty. Everyone puts pressure on with the atmosphere and, after that, we conceded in the first minute of the second half.
“There is a part where we need to look at ourselves. We conceded from two set-plays and the penalty, and there is a part where I think the referee has absolutely lost control of the game.
“It has been difficult for us to keep our heads without big complaints. It’s a shame. There might be decisions that are wrong, or I might not agree with, but you cannot lose control of the game after the decision.”