Sunderland 3-0 Burnley: Black Cats smash callow Clarets

Sunderland easily maintained their unbeaten Premier League home record with a routine win against a Burnley side who failed to record a shot on target.

The Black Cats have had a tricky run of form overall but the Stadium of Light remains a fortress.

And after an Axel Tuanzebe own goal set them on their way, Habib Diarra all but wrapped up the win before the break before Chemsdine Talbi put the cherry on top of the cake with an absolute screamer.

Scott Parker’s visitors had more of the ball overall but were absolutely gutless in attack and never looked like scoring.

Burnley are now 11 points short of Nottingham Forest in 17th place and look all but sure to return to the Championship.

This defeat made it 15 games in the league without a win. In their top-flight history, only from February 1889 to February 1890 have the Clarets ever endured a longer winless streak (19).

Sunderland, meanwhile, climb to eighth place and are only five points off the top four.

On his first start since returning from Africa Cup of Nations glory with Senegal, Diarra opened the scoring when his shot deflected off Tuanzebe.

Sunderland extended their lead with a powerful strike which was palmed into the bottom corner by Martin Dubravka.

Nordi Mukiele then sent a brilliant low pass into an unmarked Brian Brobbey, who mis-hit the ball, but the hosts quickly recycled the attempt and Talbi moved to the edge of the box, blasting a superb strike which rattled off the underside of the crossbar and into the net.