Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris has backed Brian Brobbey to keep improving after the striker fired the Black Cats to a dramatic derby win over Newcastle United.
In a fiercely contested clash at St James’ Park, Sunderland showed resilience to overturn an early setback.
Anthony Gordon had given Newcastle the lead inside 10 minutes, but the visitors responded after the break through Chemsdine Talbi before Brobbey delivered a decisive 90th-minute strike to seal a memorable 2-1 victory.
The late winner not only secured bragging rights but also highlighted Brobbey’s growing influence since his summer move from Ajax.
Having taken time to build match fitness earlier in the season, the Dutch forward is now finding his rhythm at a crucial stage.
Reflecting on the striker’s development, Le Bris pointed to a noticeable improvement in both training and match impact.
“I felt this week Brian (was) at another level during the training sessions,” Le Bris said. “The way he is now connected with his own performance but also with his team-mates is getting crazy, really, because the league is so demanding.
“He started the season with us not at probably the best fitness level, so he needed a bit of time to be ready to be competitive physically and when it was done you still have to connect with your team-mates.
“Now, progressively with confidence and with experience, we want to play with him.”
As the game unfolded, Sunderland’s tactical approach played into Brobbey’s strengths, allowing him to link play effectively and trouble the opposition defence.
“This connection through the middle is so hard to defend. So Newcastle wanted to be aggressive, we just wanted to attract them, play with Brian, support him and now we can kill the press, even in the final third.
“So he’s getting better and is a good striker.”
All things considered, Sunderland’s derby triumph underlines both their collective resilience and Brobbey’s rising importance: momentum that could prove vital as the season heads into its decisive run.
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