Khabib Diarra gave his all for his return to Sunderland, helping his team to a 3-0 victory over 19th-placed Burnley as the Clarets’ winless streak stretched to 15 games.
Diarra, making his first Premier League start since September after a long-term injury, thought he had scored his team’s first goal in the ninth minute, but it turned into an own goal for Axel Tuanzebe.
However, the 22-year-old midfielder eventually scored his own goal late in the first half with a powerful shot, which proved to be too much for Martin Dubravka with the ball in his hands.
In the second half, Kemsudine Talbi’s long-range shot further deepened the rift between the two newly promoted teams.
Burnley’s lackluster performance meant the team recorded 0.06xG, one of the lowest returns of any Premier League team this season. Meanwhile, Sunderland’s impressive home unbeaten run in the top flight this season has extended to 12 games.
On a positive night for the Black Cats, who have moved up to eighth place, Sunderland also announced a £17.5m deal to sign Nilsson Angulo from Anderlecht on Deadline Day. The 22-year-old replaces Simon Adingra, who departed for AS Monaco on Monday.
James Ward-Prowse, on loan from West Ham, needed the spark of a new signing but was denied a debut as he was not used as a substitute.
Burnley, who finished ahead of play-off winners Sunderland last season, missed an opportunity to close the gap on 18th-placed West Ham and currently trail the Black Cats by 21 points.
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Kemsudine Talbi scores Sunderland’s third goal in the Premier League match against Burnley
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Khabib Diarra scores Sunderland’s second goal in the Premier League against Burnley
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Sunderland win 1-0 against Burnley after Khabib Diarra’s goal and Axel Tuanzebe’s own goal
Walker: We did something terrible, and it’s unacceptable.
Kyle Walker told Sky Sports about Burnley’s performance:
“terrible.
“We came here to get something and we have nothing. For a club fighting for survival, it is unacceptable for us to perform like that.
“There are 22 people on the football pitch and whoever wants it, they wanted it more than us.
“The hunger is there. The players work hard. Sometimes you don’t win football games with hunger, you win with smarts.”
“When certain situations arise during a game, you have to deal with them in the appropriate way, and we don’t seem to be doing that.”
Parker slams Burnley players: ‘We looked like a childish team’
Manager Scott Parker called Burnley’s team “childish” and said they “were not in the game for a second” in the 3-0 defeat to Sunderland.
“We fell short of that,” Parker said. “We fell far short in all the basics of the game. We fell short for a second in this game. It was very disappointing.”
“We have had some good results, it might be easy to play against those teams (in terms of draws) with Man United, Liverpool and Spurs, you know what you need to bring as a player.
“We didn’t do that tonight. We looked like a childish team with no agenda for ourselves. We didn’t look like a team with any intent or purpose to make a mark. That hurts me because that’s what we need in this league.”
“That’s all I stand for. 20 years of career, 5 years of management. I try to instill fight in the team. I understand that there can be weakness and lack of belief, but it never happens. Anything less than that, you don’t have a chance.”
“We need to restart. We’re running out of time. The evidence shows there’s not enough. I can stand in front of the camera and talk about slim margins, but there’s a reason we’re sitting where we’re sitting.
“In moments of adversity, we have to come back stronger and better.”
Le Bris: Returning Diarra like a new addition
Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris says Khabib Diarra’s return feels like a “new signing” for the club following his performance in Monday night’s 3-0 win over Burnley.
Diarra returned from AFCON duty with Senegal and scored in his first start for Sunderland since September.
Asked about the 22-year-old’s performance, Le Bris told Sky Sports: “When you score goals and work hard for the team, when you come back as a starter, I think it’s perfect.
“Now we have their energy and positivity and it’s like a new contract. So this is very important for us and we hope it stays that way for the next few weeks.”
