Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris spoke with Match of the Day:
“I’m disappointed because we had the chance to secure the win, particularly with that one-on-one opportunity from Habib [Diarra]. Unfortunately, we ended up conceding a late goal.”
“We demonstrated resilience and some good quality at times, but we felt the intensity of Aston Villa, who created numerous chances. There were just too many for us to hold our ground by the end of the match.”
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On poor starts to both halves: “We did not start well in either half. Conceding a goal right after half-time makes things more challenging. When it was 3-1, there was a chance for a shift in momentum with just one goal; our team has a fighting spirit and won’t back down.”
On Diarra’s opportunity: “It was a one-on-one situation. I’m unsure if it was the best choice, but it is what it is. We have to accept the outcome since the goalkeeper made a good save as well.”
“We’re still learning as a newly promoted team, and playing away at Villa is always a tough challenge. There are ups and downs, but we stayed true to our identity and took risks until the end.”
Did you know?
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Sunderland only allowed 3+ goals in one of their first 20 matches of this Premier League season (0-3 against Man City), but have since conceded 3+ goals in five of their last 13 matches.
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Chris Rigg (18 years, 305 days) became the third youngest player to score for Sunderland in the Premier League, following Michael Bridges (18 years, 117 days in November 1996) and Connor Wickham (18 years, 212 days in October 2011). He also matched Michael Bridges’ record for the most Premier League starts for Sunderland at age 18 or younger in a single season (10 each).