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Regis Le Bris believes the Stadium of Light can be a leveller for Sunderland against Arsenal. The Black Cats have reached European football for the first time since the 1970s, and a significant factor in that feat was their unbeaten record on home soil in the first half of the 2025/26 season. ·‘It is going to be a demanding game’ Indeed, they earned a 2-2 draw against the eventual Premier League champions at their ground last November, and Le Bris feels that his side can channel their home support in a similar fashion. “It is going to be a demanding game – they are flying right now. They are one of the best teams in Europe and are on a strong run. To be competitive in this kind of game, we have to be ourselves. “Our underdog mentality, togetherness and connection with the fans is crucial. We have to have clarity in our game model, because they have so much flexibility. We have to make it as uncomfortable and as difficult as possible for Arsenal, but we know they have many threats. “It is not possible to be perfect but we have to stay true to our ideas. When you face a really strong opponent you can be a bit shy. “The best learning from last season was that if we are ourselves - no regret. They will find solutions but we are getting better with flexibility and how we adapt when something unexpected happens. It will be challenging but I am very excited to experience this situation again. “The supporters are a powerful driver, but it starts from us - the way we play and how we impose our ideas. If we are proactive, they are behind us. They back us and they feed the energy for the press, second balls, counter-attacks and so on. The connection with the fans helps us a lot."