Sunderland thrash 'childish' Burnley to climb into eighth in Premier League

Sunderland delivered a commanding 3-0 victory over Burnley on Monday, moving up to eighth in the Premier League, as Burnley manager Scott Parker condemned his side as “childish” following a dismal display at the Stadium of Light.

Regis Le Bris’ Black Cats took the lead in the ninth minute through an own goal by Burnley defender Axel Tuanzebe, who inadvertently diverted a low drive from Senegal midfielder Habib Diarra past goalkeeper Martin Dubravka. Diarra then doubled Sunderland’s advantage in the 32nd minute, netting his first league goal since joining from Strasbourg last year after a flowing team move. Chemsdine Talbi sealed the win in the 72nd minute with a spectacular curling effort into the top corner.

The result maintains Sunderland’s unbeaten home record since their promotion from the Championship last season, highlighting their impressive return to the top flight.

Burnley, by contrast, remain second-bottom, 11 points adrift of safety and winless in 15 matches. Their struggles continue, with a trip to third-bottom West Ham on Saturday likely to prove another stern test of their survival hopes.

Parker: “We looked like a childish team”

Parker did not hold back in his post-match assessment. “We were just nowhere near it,” he said. “We were never in this game in any aspect. We looked like a childish team that had no intent about us. I didn’t see a team with purpose or one that came to make a mark. We are running out of time. We sit where we sit for a reason, and we must try to come back stronger and keep improving.”

Burnley defender Kyle Walker echoed his manager’s frustrations. “Terrible,” he said. “We came here to get something from the game and got nothing. As a club fighting for survival, that’s not acceptable. It’s 22 men on a football pitch, and it’s about who wants it more—they wanted it more than us.”

Le Bris cautious on European ambitions

Sunderland manager Le Bris praised his side’s performance but remained measured on their ambitions. “For me, the target remains the same,” he said. “The first target is around 40 points, maybe more. We are a newly-promoted side and feel we can change the momentum. The league is tough; for us, the aim is to reach 40 points and then see if we can get more.”

Sunderland dominated from the outset. Diarra combined with Brian Brobbey before creating space to strike past Dubravka in the ninth minute, and his second goal in the 32nd minute capped a fluid team move. Talbi added the finishing touch in the second half, curling a sublime effort from the edge of the area into the top corner to cap Sunderland’s emphatic victory.

Burnley failed to register a single shot on target, underlining the scale of their struggles as they battle to avoid relegation.