Sunderland never looked back after taking the lead inside the opening 10 minutes against a Burnley side stuck deep in trouble. Habib Diarra’s effort took a deflection off Axel Tuanzebe, wrong-footing the visiting defence and giving the hosts an immediate advantage.
From that point, the contest felt one-sided. The home side controlled the tempo, pressed aggressively, and forced errors, while Burnley struggled to gain any foothold in midfield or attack.
The opening goal also underlined Sunderland’s authority at the Stadium of Light, where confidence and cohesion have become hallmarks of their Premier League return.
Control, quality and a deserved winning margin
Sunderland doubled their lead in the 32nd minute following a slick move down the right flank. Diarra finished low past Martin Dúbravka, who will feel he could have prevented the goal, but the chance itself was thoroughly earned.
The hosts maintained intensity throughout, moving the ball sharply and committing numbers forward. Burnley were repeatedly stretched and unable to cope with the pace or movement.
Chemsdine Talbi capped an outstanding display with a spectacular third, curling a strike from 20 yards into the top corner to seal a convincing victory.
Fortress form and contrasting fortunes
This result marked Sunderland’s 12th consecutive home match without defeat, the longest such start for a promoted side in the top flight since Nottingham Forest’s famous 1977-78 campaign. Only a handful of elite European clubs remain unbeaten at home this season.
With Africa Cup of Nations participants now back available, Regis Le Bris’ side showed depth by coping without injured captain Granit Xhaka. Diarra, filling that leadership void, delivered a standout performance and scored his first goal for the club since arriving from Strasbourg.
Burnley’s situation looks increasingly bleak. Winless in 15 league outings and 11 points from safety, the Clarets failed to register a single shot on target, with poor choices and risky build-up play compounding an already grim survival outlook.