Regis Le Bris shared his joy at seeing Sunderland defeat Newcastle United 1-0.
The Tyne-Wear derby was back in the Premier League for the first time since 2016 as the Black Cats hosted Newcastle at the Stadium of Light.
Upon their return to the top tier, Le Bris’ men have enjoyed a wonderful campaign, and they came into this fixture seeking to stay ahead of the Toon, having taken one more point than their rivals from the first 15 matches of the calendar.
The action was not the prettiest in this North-Eastern affair, but Sunderland did the job that their supporters would have demanded. An own goal from Nick Woltemade was the difference between the two teams, and the hosts now sit four points ahead of their rivals in seventh position in the table.
Moreover, Le Bris’ men have maintained their unbeaten record at their ground in the league this season. Only the top three (Aston Villa, Arsenal, and Man City) have a better home record than Sunderland in the division, and it looks like a firm foundation for their survival in the top tier.
"[I am] proud and happy. It was a derby and we were expected [to win] by our fans. This win is well deserved, we were mature and the lads were incredible.
"During the first half tactically it was really good, just small details about the shape, then it was a question of being more clinical in the final third. We had good control and sometimes were more patient.
"It was a good level of maturity, so happy for the lads and it is good for our fans.
"It's good for the region, the club, the fans. We knew before it was a special game but we have to reset quickly as we have another tough challenge in Brighton in one week so let's go again."
