Regis Le Bris confirmed that Sunderland made a change(Image: Sunderland AFC)

Regis Le Bris has admitted that Sunderland moved the advertising hoardings closer to the pitch to restrict Arsenal's long throw-ins. The Gunners were held to a last-gasp 2-2 draw at the Stadium of Light, ending their machine-like run of 10 successive wins.

Mikel Arteta's side also conceded a goal for the first time since September, missing the chance to break a club record after equalling it on Tuesday in the Champions League. Another run that came to an end was Arsenal's knack of scoring from set pieces.

The Gunners had scored a goal from dead-ball situations in their previous five Premier League games before heading to the North East. But Sunderland stifled Arsenal's regular route to goal, in part thanks to a sneaky change to the stadium setup.

The Black Cats' choice to position the hoardings nearer to the pitch reduced the amount of turf that players could use during their run-ups on throw-ins.

Asked to confirm if the decision was intentional, a grinning Le Bris admitted: "Yeah, we tried to find the details...