Sunderland beat Leeds United 1-0 at Elland Road last week, in controversial circumstances, but Regis Le Bris cannot stop talking about that result.
A Leeds goal was disallowed due to a marginal offside call, and Leeds should have had a penalty in the first half after Luke O’Nien clearly fouled Pascal Struijk inside the box.
Sunderland should have been reduced to ten men as well. Instead, the visitors walked away with the win after relying heavily on time-wasting and a style of play designed more to break up the rhythm of the game than to actually let football flow.
However, Regis Le Bris cannot stop talking about that result and the importance of the win at Leeds, especially after what happened at Elland Road last season.
Regis Le Bris is still raving about the win at Elland Road
The Sunderland boss admitted that the win took a lot out of his Leeds players, given how intense the game was and the fact that they made it difficult for the Whites to get into their rhythm through hard work.
He is immensely proud of the win as it not only got them to 40 points, but also avenged the defeat at Elland Road last season, which ended Sunderland’s chances of automatic promotion.
“The lads were tired at Leeds because it was intense”, Le Bris was quoted as saying by the Sunderland Echo.
“But winning there meant a lot. The way we played, with intensity, we pressed high; our mid press was excellent. We made it really difficult for them.
“The mood was positive after getting to 40 points, but now we want to go further; this isn’t the finishing line.
“We were proud to win at Leeds – it’s like a symbol for us because last season we lost that game and it was probably the end of expectations for automatic promotion. This year, we anticipated a tough game, but we were proactive and won, so it means a lot for the squad, even if it’s a new squad with new players.”
The defeat has damaged Leeds
Not many were expecting Leeds to beat Manchester City, but the defeat to Sunderland at home was an unexpected result.
Back-to-back home defeats have dented Leeds’ hopes of survival, and they are now just three points clear of the relegation zone this season.
| Pos | Club | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 |  Leeds United |
29 | 7 | 10 | 12 | 37 | 48 | -11 | 31 |
| 16 |  Tottenham Hotspur |
29 | 7 | 8 | 14 | 39 | 46 | -7 | 29 |
| 17 |  Nottingham Forest |
29 | 7 | 7 | 15 | 28 | 43 | -15 | 28 |
| 18 |  West Ham United |
29 | 7 | 7 | 15 | 35 | 54 | -19 | 28 |
| 19 |  Burnley |
29 | 4 | 7 | 18 | 32 | 58 | -26 | 19 |
| 20 |  Wolverhampton Wanderers |
30 | 3 | 7 | 20 | 22 | 52 | -30 | 16 |
The defeat to Sunderland meant Leeds are no longer feeling the safety that a six-point cushion brought to them even a few weeks back.
They now need a result on the road against Crystal Palace, who will start the game as favourites to win at Selhurst Park on Sunday.
Sunderland have more or less guaranteed Premier League survival after the win at Elland Road, but Leeds are feeling the heat again.
And the sour grapes keep coming from the Leeds press