Jermain Defoe answered Sunderland’s call in their hour of need to hand head coach Dick Advocaat a first Barclays Premier league point of the season.

PREMIER LEAGUE RESULTS: Sunderland 1-3 Norwich, Swansea 2-0 Newcastle, Tottenham 2-2 Stoke, Watford 0-0 West Brom, West Ham 1-2 Leicester

Messi gave up processed food this season, we heard this week from nutritionist Giuliano Poser, seemingly the true driving force behind Barcelona’s surge out of pre-Christmas lethargy to intestinal purity and treble glory.

Arsenal 0 Sunderland 0: Arsenal needed a point to all but confirm third place in the Premier League; Sunderland needed a point to escape relegation; three of the last six games between the teams at the Emirates had ended goalless. Can you guess what the score was yet?

Sunderland 0 Leicester 0: Leicester players are backing both Nigel Pearsons for manager of the year awards after the Foxes completed perhaps the greatest of all escapes. That’s one for the man we see in public, and another for the real Pearson.

Everton 0 Sunderland 2: Jermain Defoe may not be an obvious choice as the most significant signing of the 2014-15 Premier League season, but the veteran staked a powerful claim when his goal helped Sunderland collect three vital points at Goodison.

Sunderland striker Danny Graham’s first goal for the club may have been a fluke but its significance could not be under-estimated as the Black Cats took another step towards Premier League survival.

Newcastle boss John Carver suspected defender Mike Williamson of deliberately getting himself sent off as the Magpies’ 3-0 loss at Leicester left them in the thick of a Barclays Premier League relegation battle.

Sunderland 0 West Brom 0: Lee Cattermole is ready to spark another successful Sunderland survival fight.

FA Cup Fifth Round: Bradford 2 Sunderland 0: Bradford, a city whose last meaningful flirtation with the FA Cup came some 104 years ago, now stand one victory from a Wembley semi-final after a stunning 2-0 upset of Premier League Sunderland at Valley Parade.

Diego Costa took his top-flight tally for the season to 17 as Chelsea extended their Barclays Premier League lead to five points with a crushing 5-0 win over Swansea at the Liberty Stadium.

Brighton grabbed a last-minute winner to beat Nottingham Forest 2-1 and snatch the last play-off spot on a dramatic final day in the Sky Bet Championship.

Shane Long is eager to start repaying Hull manager Steve Bruce’s confidence after completing a protracted move to the KC Stadium.

Liverpool 2 Hull City 0

Hull 2 Man United 3

Hull 2 Manchester United 3

West Brom 1 Hull 1

Hull 0 Stoke 0

Swansea 1 Hull City 1

Swansea 1 Hull City 1

Tottenham 2 Hull 2 AET (Tottenham win 8-7 on penalties)

Everton 2 Hull 1

Newcastle 2 Hull 3

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini voiced concern over his team’s performance after a laboured 2-0 win over promoted Hull in the Barclays Premier League.

Man City 2 Hull 0

Hull manager Steve Bruce is expected to blood a host of summer signings when his newly-promoted side take on the might of Chelsea on their return to the Barclays Premier League on Sunday.

Jozy Altidore will arrive on Wearside tomorrow to complete his move to Sunderland.

Tottenham 1 Sunderland 0

Sunderland 1 Southampton 1

Sunderland 1 Stoke 1

Sunderland 1 Stoke 1

Sunderland striker Stephane Sessegnon will discover today whether or not his season is over.

Sunderland have appealed Stephane Sessegnon’s red card against Aston Villa and his case will be heard by an independent regulatory commission tomorrow, the Football Association has announced.

Aston Villa 6 Sunderland 1

Sunderland 1 Everton 0

Newcastle 0 Sunderland 3

Sunderland owner Ellis Short has identified his number one target for the vacant manager’s job at the Stadium of Light after dispensing with the services of Martin O’Neill.

Sunderland 0 Manchester United 1

Sunderland 1 Norwich City 1

Sunderland 1 Norwich 1

QPR 3 Sunderland 1

Sunderland 2 Fulham 2

Sunderland 2 Fulham 2

Sunderland 0 Arsenal 1