Sunderland completed their great escape from what had seemed certain relegation with a 2-0 win at home to West Bromwich Albion on Wednesday, which made certain their place in the Premier League next season.
First-half goals from Jack Colback and Fabio Borini saw Sunderland to their fourth successive win, a result that took the north-east side five points clear of the relegation zone ahead of Sunday’s final round of matches.
Victory for Gus Poyet’s men all but relegated Norwich City, who have only a slim mathematical chance of not joining already-down Cardiff and Fulham in the second-tier Championship next season.
Photo: AFP
A few weeks earlier Uruguayan manager Poyet said his side needed a “miracle” to stay up, but that was achieved as the Black Cats won four Premier League matches in a row.
“I don’t know if you will see something similar ever again,” Poyet told Sky Sports. “We are the second team in the Premier League to be bottom at Christmas and stay up... To be seven points away from safety and to do it with a game to spare is amazing.”
Colback gave Sunderland an 18th-minute lead when he turned Marcos Alonso’s near-post cross past goalkeeper Ben Foster.
And the stadium erupted with joy about 18 minutes later when Borini volleyed in his ninth goal of the season.
Defeat meant the Midlands club were still not mathematically safe from the drop, although their vastly superior goal difference compared to that of relegation rivals Norwich should preserve their top-flight status.
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