Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris has spoken about how his side managed to out-do West Brom tactically.
The Black Cats notched a second successive Championship victory as Sunderland beat West Brom at the Hawthorns.
Sunderland goalscorer Trai Hume bagged from a corner, and has now notched in two successive games, but Dan Neil equally shone for Regis Le Bris’ side.
One of the main takeaways from the game was the fact that it saw Sunderland face off against former boss Tony Mowbray, who was in the West Brom camp. Mowbray praised the Sunderland defence following the clash, but it was also Le Bris’ tactics that helped outsmart the former Black Cats man.
Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris gives tactical breakdown of how they beat West Brom
Following the 1-0 victory at The Hawthorns, Sunderland boss Le Bris gave his overall views on the game and how his side outdid Mowbray’s West Brom away from home.
Per Sunderland Echo, Le Bris said: “The first half was OK in possession, we had some good spells, but when we scored, the opponent had to push and take risks,” Le Bris said.
“In that situation, our zonal defence, midblock and lowblock were really important. We did really well from a tactical point of view, but I want to reinforce the idea that the mindset of the team was key. They were really well connected, won many duels, and the team spirit was impressive.
“It’s the normal evolution of the game, because they used many bodies in the box and tried to play crosses, to use different options to create some chaotic situations in the box.”
Sunderland were up against the cosh for large quantities of the tie, with Le Bris’ side only recording 36% possession, whilst West Brom tripled the Black Cats’ number of shots, tallying a total of 21, but the solid defence was able to match it.
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Chris Mepham starred in defence as Black Cats claimed huge victory
All four defenders were on top form in the victory against West Brom, whether it was Hume bagging the winning goal, Alan Browne looking composed, despite playing out of position, or Luke O’Nien throwing himself about, making several blocks, but the one man who truly shone was Chris Mepham.
In the heart of defence, Mepham was spectacular for Sunderland, having, per SofaScore, notched a total of 14 clearances, whilst also winning every ground duel.
Dealing with West Brom attackers Karlan Grant and Adam Armstrong, who, despite being out-of-form, can still hold a devastating impact at Championship level, and the full Sunderland defence deserves praise for keeping them quiet.