Régis Le Bris urges Sunderland to be aggressive for Arsenal test

Sunderland host Premier League champions Arsenal at the Stadium of Light on Saturday, with Régis Le Bris calling for maximum aggression and fidelity to their style. Arsenal have a perfect record across all competitions so far this season.

According to Sunderland Echo, the head coach said last season taught his squad to stay true to their ideas, even against elite opposition, and that shyness or uncertainty can creep in if they drift from their identity. He added the group are improving their flexibility and ability to adapt when the unexpected happens.

He noted that tweaks made to mirror opponents, such as abandoning man-for-man marking against teams strong at going long, did not bring positive results. His instruction is to be Sunderland, start on the front foot, accept there will be spells defending deep, because Arsenal will force that at times, and press higher when possible.

Le Bris believes Arsenal are currently Europe’s leading side, while stressing it is still early in the season. After watching Mikel Arteta’s team beat Napoli in their opening Champions League fixture this week, he said they look strong across every phase and from the bench, and that such tests aid Sunderland’s development.

He said he is excited to experience the occasion again and urged his players to embrace it. Kick-off is at eight pm, with live coverage on TNT Sports.

Source: Sunderland Echo

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”