SUNDERLAND ran riot against fellow strugglers Crystal Palace with a devastating 4-0 triumph at Selhurst Park.
The Black Cats hit FOUR goals against Big Sam's Palace in the first half, including TWO from Jermain Defoe in first-half stoppage time.
There was an ugly scene as the teams left the field for half-time, when a fan had to be restrained by stewards as he tried to attack Eagles defender Damien Delaney.
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Lamine Kone put the Black Cats 1-0 up after ten minutes, before a mad few minutes put paid to Palace’s chances just before half-time.
Devastated Big Sam exits down the tunnel for half-time
Didier Ndong added a second with 43 minutes on the clock, followed by a Defoe's quickfire double in first-half stoppage time.
STATS, FACTS, GOALS & LOLS
- JERMAIN DEFOE was the only player in Sunderland’s starting line-up to have scored a Premier League goal this season until Lamine Kone’s ninth minute volley to put the visitors ahead..
- SAM ALLARDYCE was so relaxed ahead of the meeting with his former club that he did a little dance with the Palace mascot as he headed to take his seat in the dug-out. He wasn’t quite so happy when he was abused as he walked off at half-time.
- PATRICK VAN AANHOLT was predictably booed by the Sunderland fans following his £10million move to Palace last week. Then he was booed by the Palace fans.
- SUNDERLAND were apparently lined up in a 3-3-2-1-1 formation. Don’t ask us how it worked, but it clearly did.
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- SEB LARSSON was fortunate not to receive a second yellow card for twice kicking Wilfried Zaha midway through the first-half. The Swedish midfielder had already received a fifth minute booking for fouling the Palace danger man.
- IT WAS also Larsson’s crunching first-minute foul on Yohan Cabaye which eventually led to Palace’s limping French playmaker being subbed with less than half an hour of the game gone.
- DAMIEN DELANEY was not happy when he was abused by Palace fans for a poor attempted clearance. He’s probably not going to win the supporters’ Player of the Season award and it was no surprise when he was hooked at half-time.
- DIDIER N’DONG’s 43rd minute strike was his first goal for Sunderland since his club record £13.6million move from Lorient last summer.
- SUNDERLAND had never previously won a Premier League game in which Jack Rodwell had started. The former Everton and Manchester City midfielder finally broke his duck at the 38th attempt, even if he only lasted 50 minutes before limping off.
SOCIAL SAYS
DREAM TEAM RATINGS
PALACE (3-4-3): Hennesey 5; Tomkins 5, Dann 6, Delaney 5 (Townsend 6, 45); Ward 5, McArthur 5 (Remy 6, 62), Cabaye 6 (Ledley 5, 27), van Aanholt 5; Zaha 6, Benteke 6, Puncheon 6.
SUNDERLAND (4-2-3-1): Mannone 8; Jones 7, O'Shea 6 (Lescott 6, 57), Kone 9, Oviedo 8; Denayer 7, Rodwell 7 (Gibson 6, 52); Larsson 7, Ndong 8, Januzaj 7 (Pienaar 6, 78); Defoe 9.