'Are you watching, Newcastle?': Sunderland complete another great escape to relegate rivals

Sunderland 3 Everton 0: Yes, they were watching in Newcastle, and it’s a fair assumption that they didn’t care much for what they were seeing.

As if clinching a fourth consecutive great escape wasn’t enough, to condemn their noisy neighbours to the Championship in the process made it just about the perfect occasion as Wearside celebrated kicking the Geordies while they’re down.

Ivory Coast defender Lamine Kone improbably scored in each half as inept Everton were swept away on a tide of emotion at the Stadium of Light. Perhaps the only surprise in a season of the unexpected was that Sam Allardyce’s men sealed safety with a game to spare in opening the trap door for both the Tynesiders and Norwich City, who are unable to bridge the four-point gap on the Wearsiders in Sunday’s final round of fixtures.