Sunderland are back in Premier League action when they face Manchester City on Sunday afternoon

Régis Le Bris insists he is not worried by Sunderland's struggles in front of goal this season and that it is a positive that they are creating so many chances.

The Black Cats have scored five goals in six games so far this season, three of which have been from either the penalty spot or a direct free kick. They have missed a number of significant chances throughout the start of the campaign, which Le Bris says shows they are improving as a side even if it is has been frustrating to watch. The Sunderland head coach said his side had been on unusual run of hitting the woodwork of late, which he believes is a clear sign that things will soon turn.

"Yeah, I think so [a matter of time]," Le Bris said.

"It's a process once again, and we are still really efficient defensively, which gives us a strong platform to be competitive. We are creating more chances than ever, so it's really positive. "We hit the post five times so far, so it's just a question of time. Keep pushing. We have so many examples around us. Last year, I like, for example, Ousmane Dembélé: he struggled at the beginning of the season, didn't know why, and then just like this, started to score. So I hope it's going to be the case for us, but I'm not concerned."

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Le Bris nevertheless said it was clear that his team needed to be clinical, especially if they are to get anything from a very difficult assignment at Manchester City on Sunday.

"We were able to be competitive against Arsenal in different areas," he said.

"If you are strong in three or four but weak in one, they kill you. So we were consistent first of all, and second, we got our opportunities. We didn't seize those opportunities, which is probably the main point. One is about confidence, believing we have the level to be competitive, and second you have small windows in a game and you have to seize those windows."

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