Black Cats exit the drop zone

Premier League

Wes Brown’s own-goal added to Sunderland’s lengthy list of defensive disasters but this time Gus Poyet’s side overcame their self-destructive tendencies to secure a win to lift them out of the bottom three.

Humiliated 8-0 at Southampton on their last away trip and architects of their own downfall at Arsenal nine days previously, Poyet’s team stopped the rot, with goals from Steven Fletcher and Jordi Gomez, either side of Brown’s mishap. Fletcher’s late late second added further gloss to the win.