Lebrides reflects on his start to the season and looks forward to a perfect end to the year.

Ahead of their match against Leeds United, Sunderland manager Regis Lebrs highly praised the team's professionalism and collective mentality displayed in the first half of the season.

As a dark horse newly promoted this season, Sunderland secured a solid sixth place in the league during the Christmas period with an impressive record of 27 points in 17 league games, demonstrating their ambition to return to the top flight.

Defensive consistency has become the cornerstone of Lebrides' tactical system. Currently, Sunderland's goals conceded are second only to giants Arsenal and Manchester City. Even more exciting for fans is that Sunderland and Arsenal are the only two teams remaining unbeaten at home in the Premier League this season.

Lebrides specifically praised the wingers for their selfless dedication on the defensive end, believing that this "spirit of sacrifice" was key to the team's success. By making tactical substitutions around the 60-minute mark, the addition of new players allowed the team to maintain high efficiency in both defensive intensity and offensive transitions, demonstrating exceptional squad depth.

Facing the predicament of missing six key players due to their participation in the Africa Cup of Nations, Lebrides emphasized the importance of trust and patience. He specifically praised the progress of striker Bryan Broby.

Despite joining late in the summer and initially struggling with fitness, Brobby has, through patient training, now been able to handle high-intensity, repetitive sprints and physical challenges. Lebrues stated that the team is working to teach the forwards to allocate their energy more intelligently, reducing unnecessary exertion on the defensive end, thereby unleashing more lethal energy in attack.

Speaking about their opponents, Leeds United, Lebrides predicted a chaotic and intense match. He expects his team to maintain the energy they displayed against Leeds United last season and end their impressive 2025 with a victory.