Habib Diarra scored his first Sunderland goal as Burnley continued to flirt with relegation by extending a winless run to 15 games in the Premier League after losing 2-0 at the Stadium of Light.
With a victory, Scott Parker’s descending side could have narrowed the gap to safety to just eight points but instead Diarra twice provided damaging blows to write his own spirited story.
After missing 89 days of action, and 15 games for club and country before returning less than two weeks before the Africa Cup of Nations, the Senegal international thought he had struck inside the first 10 minutes when Axel Tuanzebe was given the credit of an own goal.
But Diarra still played a major role when the deadlock was broken, later scoring the second of Sunderland’s three goals in the 32nd minute. After 72 minutes, Chemsdine Talbi submitted a stunning effort which hit the crossbar and went into the top-right corner.
Story of the Match
Burnley came into this clash waiting for their first clean sheet away from home in the Premier League this season but after only nine minutes, Scott Parker’s side were split open by a simple yet effective Sunderland attack.
Brian Brobbey had scored in each of the Black Cats’ last two games but was the provider for the opener on Monday night, holding play up brilliantly before offloading the ball to Diarra on the right side of the final third.
A burst of pace left the away side scrambling for the ball and although Maxime Esteve managed to get a foot on the initial shot by Diarra, a second bite of the cherry for the midfielder deflected off Axel Tuanzebe, which left Martin Dubravka diving the wrong way.
Diarra scored after having an earlier goal changed to an Axel Tuanzebe own goal (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)
Sunderland continued to build momentum, and while odd stints of Burnley pressure produced hope, albeit minimal, for the away supporters, the hosts struck once again after 32 minutes — two minutes after Enzo Le Fee submitted a dull strike straight at Dubravka.
The former Newcastle United goalkeeper would inevitably receive a frosty reception but his own performance drove most of the embarrassment. Diarra, after having his first goal ruled out and credited to Tuanzebe as an own goal, guided a Mukiele cross into the net from 12 yards but Dubravka could and should have done much better to prevent it; the ball slipping through his hands ineptly.
Sunderland’s charge up the Premier League table at the start of the season was bound to end at some point given the circumstances, but here they produced a similar performance that had them in the upper tiers of the league standings.
Talbi scored from the edge of the box to sink a sorry Burnley (Photo by PAUL ELLIS/Getty Images)
Creativity, desire and poise set Regis Le Bris’s side up for success after both goals were scored in the first half and the second half featured the same class; Reinildo struck high and wide on the hour before Brobbey was denied by Dubravka just three minutes later.
Then, as the clock ticked past 71 minutes, Talbi took on Josh Laurent before dispatching a beautiful strike far into the top corner, which smacked the he crossbar before going in and put the game to bed.
Tensions had flared a while before the full-time whistle, but it will be Sunderland who claim the bragging rights as they, alongside Leeds United, appear to have their safety in the Premier League all-but confirmed.