Sunderland beat Chelsea 1-0 at the Stadium of Light, moving up to 18th in the Premier League and ending a run of seven league matches without a win.
The victory came after Sunderland suffered a 2-0 Europa League defeat to Dinamo Zagreb on Thursday.
Le Fee scores winning penalty
Enzo Le Fee scored Sunderland's penalty in the 36th minute. Brian Brobbey did not score, but Sunderland boss Régis Le Bris said: “He probably deserved to score but he was so important.”
Xhaka forced off with calf injury
Granit Xhaka was forced off in the fourth minute. Sunderland boss Régis Le Bris said: “It looks like a calf injury, but we don’t know exactly the timeframe at the minute”
Target remains 40 points
Le Bris said Sunderland's target remained 40 points: “I told them the target is still 40 points so a long way to go, but the reaction and what we showed as a group and individually as well was really important.”
Le Bris also praised the players’ intensity and their strong connection with the fans, stressing the importance of rediscovering Sunderland’s identity after a demanding run of nine matches. He said: “The aggression was there, the intensity was there, the energy was there. Three points at the end of it all”
O'Nien discusses Sunderland's approach
Sunderland captain Luke O'Nien, speaking to Flashscore in the mixed zone, said: “I think a lot of it's still trying to stay to what we did last season. Success leaves clues.”
He added: “So, today we're really, really tight. We're a lot tighter, we're a little bit more aggressive at the same time.”
Aston Villa next
Sunderland face Aston Villa on 21 November before returning to Europa League action against Jagiellonia.
