Sunderland head coach Regis Le Bris insisted there would be no slackening off after his side guaranteed a place in the Championship play-offs with a goalless draw at Norwich.
The Black Cats look almost certain to finish fourth in the table, meaning nothing hinges on their final five fixtures, but Le Bris wants his side to go into the end-of-season showdown on a high.
“Momentum is important in football,” he said. “It was something I stressed to the players after the international break and it’s good we now have our place in the play-offs.
“It’s a great achievement after a long journey – and now we need to keep it going.
“The good thing about our position is it gives us a chance to manage the squad, give different players a chance to show what they can do.
“At this stage of the season freshness is very important so that will be on my mind in the final games. But whatever the team our aim is to finish strongly.”
As for the game, he added: “We were not at our best early on, didn’t use the ball well, and they put us under pressure.
“But I was pleased with the character of the players and the way we defended – and in the second half we were much better.”
Norwich had the better of a low-key encounter and would have won it had they taken one of their numerous clear chances in the first half.
The best opportunity fell to top scorer Borja Sainz after just 10 minutes when he was played through by Marcelino Nunez but goalkeeper Anthony Patterson – who had created the trouble in the first place with some poor distribution – redeemed himself with a good save.
Anis Ben Slimane had earlier shaved the upright with a close-range header while Josh Sargent and Jacob Wright were denied by further good work from the keeper.
It was a closer game in the second period, with Eliezer Mayenda missing one good chance for the Black Cats, as the game fizzled out into a draw.
Norwich head coach Johannes Hoff Thorup was pleased with his side’s efforts.
“We did more than enough to score early in the match and I was disappointed we didn’t take one of our chances,” he said.
“We took control early on and I was pleased with some of our play but there were times when we didn’t take advantage of good positions and when the crosses could have been better.
“In the second half we dropped off a bit and they caused us a few problems but we defended well and it’s another clean sheet at home, which is good.”
[(Racing Club de Avellaneda) Strength]: 1. Racing Club de Avellaneda lost their first encounter 0-1, so they cannot afford any loss this time and must go all out to win, fully motivated.2. In the last domestic league game, Adrian Balboa performed well and scored the first goal to put the team ahead.3. Racing Club de Avellaneda scored 5 goals and conceded 5 in the last 5 games with good performance...
[(Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors) Strength]: 1. Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors performed stably across all competitions this season. Since April, the team have remained unbeaten in the last 20 matches.2. Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors scored at halftime in 4 consecutive games, getting into form quickly on offense.3. Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors scored at least 2 goals per game in 5 consecutive matches, showing strong attack.4....
[(Velez Sarsfield) Strength]: 1. During their first encounter, Velez Sarsfield played a goalless draw. In this home game, they vow to grab a win and advance, with full motivation.2. Braian Romero withstood the pressure in the last game and scored a penalty in the final moment, helping the team seal a last-gasp victory.3. Velez Sarsfield defeated Club Atletico Independiente 2-1 in the last game, wh...
[(Ferencvaros) Strength]: 1. Ferencvaros are motivated to win this home game and take the lead in advancing.2. Cadu scored a goal in the last game, once helping the team tie the game.3. Ferencvaros received 3 wins and 1 loss in the last 4 home games, revealing outstanding home performances.4. Ferencvaros scored 11 goals and conceded 3 in the last 5 games, boasting excellent attack and solid defens...
[(Gwangju FC) Strength]: 1. The first leg of the Semi-finals will see Gwangju FC play at home first. They hope to grab the advantage, with full motivation.2. Gwangju FC forward Reis scored twice in the last game, being in good form.3. Gwangju FC performed well and scored a 2-0 win over Daejeon Hana Citizen in hte last game, thus getting back on the winning ways.4. AH market provided home team a -1...
[(FC Machida Zelvia) Strength]: 1. In the last league game, Korean internationals Oh Se Hun and Na Sang Ho both scored in open play, showing decent performances.2. This game is FC Machida Zelvia's fourth consecutive home game, which is in favor of them.3. FC Machida Zelvia won 3-0 over Cerezo Osaka in the last league game, securing a 10-game winning streak across all competitions.4. FC Machida Zel...
[(Crvena Zvezda) Strength]: 1. Crvena Zvezda vow to win this home game in order to grab the advancing advantage, with full motivation.2. Aleksandar Katai performed very well in the last domestic league game. He scored a hat-trick in a win for the team.3. Crvena Zvezda defeated Mladost Lucani 4-1 in the last domestic league game. They achieved 7 wins and 1 draw in the last 8 games, being in red-hot...
[(Sao Paulo FC) Strength]: 1. Sao Paulo FC drew with Atletico Nacional in the first leg on the road. They will advance to the next round if they win this round at home, indicating full motivation to win.2. Sao Paulo FC signed Serie A team Atalanta BC captain Rafael Toloi recently. He is expected to make his debut in this match.3. Sao Paulo FC drew 2-2 with Sport Club do Recife in the last league g...
[(Chengdu Rongcheng FC) Strength]: 1. Chengdu Rongcheng FC drew 0-0 with Qingdao Hainiu F.C. in the last Chinese Super League, ending their winning streak. However, the team were unbeaten with 5 wins and 1 draw in the last 6 games, showing commendable performances.2. Chengdu Rongcheng FC scored 12 goals in the last 5 home games, revealing outstanding attack at home.3. Chengdu Rongcheng FC are now ...
[(Sanfrecce Hiroshima) Strength]: 1. Sanfrecce Hiroshima have achieved 14 wins, 4 draws and 8 losses in the league so far this season. They have scored 30 goals and conceded 18 goals in 26 league matches, and currently rank 5th in the league standings. The team will play at home in this game and have a strong desire to win.2. Naoto Arai, the main defender of Sanfrecce Hiroshima, has performed stea...
- 1 Brentford Agree Deal to Sign Dango Ouattara From Bournemouth
- 2 TIPS - Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas VS Liga Deportiva Universitaria
- 3 TIPS - Villarreal VS Real Oviedo
- 4 ngland cricket legend’s granddaughter stuns in bikini
- 5 Lamela explains retirement decision: It started 11 years ago...
- 6 Estevao Willian set for 'key' Chelsea role after debut vs Palace
- 7 TIPS - Club Necaxa VS Club Leon
- 8 Emotional Arne Slot admits he had wanted to bring late Diogo Jota on as a substitute in Liverpool's dramatic victory over Bournemouth
- 9 Benjamin Sesko vs Viktor Gyokeres: Man Utd-Arsenal showdown sets early stage for big-money No.9s to show the Premier League what they can offer
- 10 TIPS - Cambuur Leeuwarden VS FC Oss