Credit: Imago, Manh Tung

Cameron Smith

Tue 3 February 2026 17:00, UK

Habib Diarra found the back of the net for the first time in a Sunderland shirt as the Black Cats beat Burnley 3-0.

Diarra made just his fifth start of the season on Monday after suffering a groin injury in September, before the 22-year-old was called up to the Senegal national team ahead of their AFCON triumph.

Believed to have opened the scoring against the Clarets in the ninth minute, his strike would go down as an Axel Tuanzebe own goal. Though the midfielder would get on the scoresheet just over 20 minutes later, netting his first goal for the club.

A sensational Chemsdine Talbi strike would seal all three points in the second half, extending Sunderland’s unbeaten home run to 12 Premier League matches.

Manager Regis Le Bris has since been full of praise for the returning midfielder.

Regis Le Bris hails Habib Diarra impact after Burnley performance

Diarra’s Black Cats career has been a little stop-start due to the aforementioned injury and time away at AFCON.

As such, Le Bris feels that having the midfield ace available again has been like a new arrival at the club.

“It’s like a new signing for us,” Le Bris told the Sunderland Echo after a fantastic performance from the returning Diarra.

“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,” added Le Bris.

Diarra made the switch from Strasbourg over the summer in a club record £30million deal; however has been kept out of the side for large parts of the season through injury.

“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,” said Le Bris.

“He came late in the squad, but now I hope he will continue this kind of performance.”

Habib Diarra gives huge boost as Sunderland eye European spot

Sunderland have adapted to the Premier League perfectly after their eight-year stint away from the top flight, though their form had begun to falter in recent weeks, with just one win in six league outings until Monday’s victory – including a poor 3-1 defeat against West Ham at the end of January.

Diarra and the aforementioned Talbi returned from AFCON later than the four other Sunderland representatives, with Morocco and Senegal going head to head in the final last month – the pair have since returned seemingly with a point to prove based on Monday’s exploits.

Sunderland’s exciting addition of Ecuadorian winger Nilson Angulo provides Le Bris with even more bodies to work with heading into the season’s crunch point. And with Sunderland currently sitting eighth, they are more than in the race for European football.

The growing importance of Diarra at the Stadium of Light could be the fresh impetus needed to get over the recent barren run and push for the top seven.