Sunderland fought back in the second half to beat Everton 3-1 at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, moving into ninth place in the Premier League and raising hopes of qualifying for Europe.
Everton looked to improve their chances of finishing in the top eight with Marlin Rolle scoring his first goal for the club after a deflection in the first half, but the visitors were booed by the home fans after they pulled off a stunning comeback.
Brian Brobbey equalized in the 59th minute, showing pace and strength to thwart James Tarkowski after Jake O’Brien’s misplaced pass and firing home a powerful finish at his near post.
Enzo Le Fey put the Regis Le Bris team ahead in the 81st minute by converting Chris Rigg’s shot from close range, and in second half stoppage time Wilson Isidore added a third goal with a brilliant effort from a low cross from fellow substitute Habib Diarra.
Between Sunderland’s second and third goals, O’Brien missed a brilliant chance for Everton’s equalizer by heading his close-range header from Tyrik George’s cross too close to Robin Roofs.
The win leaves Sunderland just one point behind eighth-placed Brentford, who drew 2-2 with Crystal Palace, and the promoted Black Cats will host 10th-placed Chelsea on the final day of their European campaign with a potential penalty shootout.
Everton, on the other hand, face Tottenham in their final game with the knowledge that their hopes of progressing to the top eight have all but ended, with their fans venting their dissatisfaction with the defeat which left the Toffees in 11th place, three points behind the Toffees, who have not won in 8 games.
The defeat was a disappointing result in the final home game for Everton captain Seamus Coleman, who came on as a substitute after announcing this week that he would be leaving the club at the end of the season.
Congratulations to Brian Brobbey after scoring Sunderland’s equalizer against Everton
Analysis: Contrasting fortunes in the Euro race
Sunderland’s brilliant first season back in the top flight could end on a historic high. They will be back in the championship soon. Instead, they will face Chelsea on the final day with a chance to qualify for Europe for the first time since 1973.
Other results are needed for the Black Cats to go their way, but no matter how it ends, this was a season to cherish for the fans who stood at Hill Dickinson Stadium to salute their players’ efforts while the players in blue endured boos.
Everton’s form collapsed at the worst possible time. They won 3-0 against Chelsea in March and were 4-3 at the time, but are now 6-0. The biggest concern for manager David Moyes is the apparent weakness in their defense.
Everton have now conceded at least two goals in six consecutive games. Sunderland had just three shots on target on Sunday, but all three found the back of the net past Jordan Pickford, illustrating the home side’s current predicament.
Mathematically, the Toffees are not out of contention to represent Europe, but with a negative goal difference and a three-point lead, it would be a miracle. Sunderland’s outlook is bright.
Mr. Moyes: We made a big mistake.
Everton manager David Moyes told Sky Sports: “We made a big mistake today.
“We certainly didn’t look like a European team during the game.
“Things didn’t go our way at different times. It was really disappointing to concede the first goal, but then we got back into the game and it looked like if anyone was going to score at that point it was going to be us.
“Then we conceded the second goal and just as we were trying to get back into the game, we conceded the third goal.
“The players have done a great job at different times, but today was not the case.
“Everton haven’t had a chance to be near the top end of the league for a while, so I think it’s more of a shame they missed that opportunity.
“They missed an opportunity to build up a lot of momentum here and keep going. Today showed that maybe we’re not ready for that.”
Le Bris: “We’ll be able to do something special on the final day”
Sunderland head coach Regis Le Bris told Sky Sports:
“We are becoming more ambitious with each stage and it is now a reality as we have one more game and depending on the result we have the chance to achieve something really special.
“It was already a special game, but now it’s just the final so we’ll see.
“Last season (in the Championship) was a marathon: the club, the staff, the team, the direction. We work really well together. That makes the difference in the end and I’m really proud.”
“Enjoy this week, work hard and you’ll see in the end.
“The fans deserve this award because they’ve always been really supportive and supported us. We’ve had our good times and we’ve had our bad times, but they still supported us. I hope they enjoy the final game at home.”
Featured: All goals
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Marlin Rolle scores Everton’s first goal after a deflection.
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Brian Brobbey capitalized on Jake O’Brien’s mistake to equalize.
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Le Feeh puts Sunderland ahead and celebrates with Spider-Man mask
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Wilson Isidore added Sunderland’s third goal in stoppage time.
Sunderland Resilience – Opta Stats
Sunderland have won more points this season than any other team in the Premier League despite falling down the table, with 22 points. This is the most the Black Cats have achieved in a single season. Everton manager David Moyes has lost his last three Premier League games against his former team, and it was his heaviest home defeat since Manchester United lost 3-1 to West Ham in December 2020. Everton are without a win in their last six Premier League games (D3) L3). The last time the Toffees endured an extended winless run in the top flight was between December 2023 and April 2024 under Sean Dyche, when they went 13 games without a win.
