Manager Watch: Le Bris encouraged by Brentford draw as Arsenal and Man City loom
Regis Le Bris praised Sunderland's first-half showing in the draw at Brentford, per BBC Sport, with Arsenal and Manchester City next up for the Black Cats.
Sunderland head coach Regis Le Bris found genuine encouragement in his side's draw at Brentford, with BBC Sport reporting that the Frenchman was pleased with the overall performance and described the opening 45 minutes as "one of our best first halves".
Brentford head coach Andrews took a similarly satisfied view from the home camp, per BBC Sport, saying his side had played the "ugly side of the game" and that he was proud of the display.
How the start has shaped up
The early picture is one of promise mixed with frustration. FanTribe's match data shows Sunderland opened the campaign with a 1-0 home win over Fulham before slipping to a 2-1 defeat at Ipswich Town, with the weekend's draw at Brentford the latest step.
The point was earned against useful opposition, too: according to the Premier League table, Brentford sit sixth and remain unbeaten this season, while Sunderland are 12th with three points.
A demanding fortnight
The fixture list now turns unforgiving. Sunderland host Arsenal on Saturday, 12 September, before travelling to Manchester City on 20 September. According to the odds listed in FanTribe's fixture data, Arsenal are 1.53 favourites for the visit, with the draw at 4.5 and Sunderland 7.8 to spring a surprise.
The trip to City looks tougher still, with the same odds listing City at 1.26 at home, the draw at 6.0 and Sunderland as 11.0 outsiders. Both upcoming opponents arrive in form, according to the Premier League table: Arsenal are second and City top, each with perfect records.
Manager Watch verdict
There is no pressure talk around Le Bris in this week's wires, and nothing in his side's early showings suggests any is imminent. The watch item here is different: whether commendable performances can be turned into points against the division's heavyweight sides. For now, the Frenchman's seat is cold; the test is of his team's ceiling, not his tenure. Two such fixtures in the space of eight days will provide the clearest evidence yet.
This story was generated from structured football data (fixtures, official results, league standings, betting odds) and FanTribe's own aggregated, anonymised fan data by the FanTribe Data Desk. It was published under our editorial policy.
It was reviewed by a FanTribe editor before publication.
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