‘Nothing happened’ – Habib Diarra jokes online after Sunderland demolish Burnley at Stadium of Light
Habib Diarra reacted with humour after his early strike was credited as an own goal during Sunderland’s emphatic win over Burnley.
Sunderland’s players took to social media in the aftermath of Monday night’s 3-0 win over Burnley to acknowledge the supporters – and to reflect the growing belief inside the squad after another convincing performance at the Stadium of Light.
Midfielder Habib Diarra reacted with humour after his early strike was officially credited as an own goal following a deflection. Posting images from the game, Diarra wrote: “Nothing happened”, accompanied by football emojis – a tongue-in-cheek response to the decision, despite later scoring his first official Sunderland goal with his second effort before the break.
Captain Trai Hume shared a photo from the pre-match walkout alongside the club’s mascots and young supporters, writing: “Proud moment, we keep building”. The message was followed by a red heart emoji, underlining the sense of pride and connection between the squad and the fanbase. Defender Nordi Mukiele also addressed supporters after the final whistle, posting images from the night and writing: “Big win at home and job done tonight”. His message was followed by a red heart emoji and the hashtag “passion”.
Meanwhile, Reinildo Mandava focused on the substance of the performance, listing key outcomes from the night. He wrote: “+3 important points. Assistance. Clean sheet. Congratulations team, and we keep fighting”, using tick emojis to emphasise each achievement, followed by red-and-white hearts, flexed biceps and praying hands emojis to underline unity and determination.
What did Régis Le Bris say after the Burnley game?
Régis Le Bris praised Habib Diarra after the midfielder marked his return to Sunderland’s starting line-up with a decisive display in the 3-0 win over Burnley, insisting the 20-year-old can play a major role for the remainder of the season.
Diarra was central to Sunderland’s dominance, scoring twice in the first half, although his opening effort was later credited as an Axel Tuanzebe own goal. His second strike therefore stood as his first goal for the club, coming on just his fourth start following a long spell out through injury and AFCON duty.
Speaking afterwards, Le Bris said Diarra embodied exactly what Sunderland had targeted during the summer recruitment window. “It's a new signing for us,” Le Bris said. “We spoke together this week about a new start. We supported him through his injury, then through AFCON, and we were absolutely convinced that when he comes back with us, he will have the quality as a player, but he's really competitive as well.
“He wants to win, he wants to press, he wants to score, and he gives us this energy, which is really important in this league. He was one of our first signings, so he set the tone for us when we decided to go with him, and he agreed, obviously. He came late in the squad, but now I hope he will continue this kind of performances.”
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Diarra also developed an encouraging understanding with striker Brian Brobbey, who played a key role despite failing to find the net. Le Bris felt Brobbey’s influence continues to grow within the side. “Brian is getting better,” Le Bris said. “I think game after game, you can see how strong he is in this part of the pitch.
“I think his teammates now want to play with him, want to feed him. When we get pressed man for man, for example, we still have this option to go long, then we can support, and we can break the press. So it was really important today. He could have scored, maybe once or twice, but he worked really hard.”