Sunderland Thrash Struggling Burnley 3 0

Sunderland secured a comfortable 3 0 victory over Burnley on Monday, enhancing their chances of European qualification while edging the Premier League's bottom feeders nearer to the drop.

Under Regis Le Bris, the team opened the scoring via an unfortunate own goal by Burnley centre back Axel Tuanzebe shortly after kick off at the Stadium of Light.

Senegalese playmaker Habib Diarra doubled the advantage before half time, netting his debut Premier League strike following his move from Strasbourg last season.

Chemsdine Talbi sealed the points with a stunning long range effort in the second period, propelling Sunderland up to eighth and underlining their strong re entry to elite football.

The Black Cats remain undefeated on home soil in the top division since earning promotion from the Championship the previous campaign.

With a pair of triumphs in their most recent three league outings, they now harbour realistic ambitions for continental action come next term.

Propping up the table in second from bottom, Burnley sit 11 points adrift of salvation and have drawn a blank in 15 matches, teetering on the brink of a swift demotion to the Championship.

A loss to third from bottom West Ham this coming Saturday could deliver yet another crushing setback to their slim prospects of staying up.

Sunderland struck first in the ninth minute as Diarra linked up with Brian Brobbey in a swift exchange before darting into the box.

Diarra unleashed a driven shot from distance that veered sharply off Tuanzebe, beating the stranded Burnley goalkeeper Martin Dubravka.

The hosts kept up the onslaught, and in the 32nd minute Diarra bagged his second during a slick team manoeuvre.

Enzo Le Fee located Nordi Mukiele, whose precise pass across goal set up Diarra, who saw his first attempt repelled yet reacted swiftly to rifle the loose ball beyond Dubravka's feeble parry.

Post break, Brobbeys clever turn and shot took a deflection but Dubravka this time made a solid intervention.

Burnleys Zian Flemming fluffed a chance, his wayward poke rolling harmlessly wide, summing up their dismal showing.

Scott Parkers outfit, who have suffered defeat in 15 of 24 top flight fixtures so far, failed to register even one effort on goal.

Talbi twisted the knife deeper for the visitors in the 72nd minute, drifting inside from the left flank to whip a fierce effort into the upper corner from just outside the box.