Sunderland rout hapless Burnley as possible place in Europe beckons

Burnley manager Scott Parker blasted his ‘childish’ players after a dismal 3-0 defeat at Sunderland pushed the English Premier League strugglers closer to relegation on Monday.

Regis Le Bris’ side took the lead through an own goal from Burnley defender Axel Tuanzebe early in the first half at the Stadium of Light.

Senegal midfielder Habib Diarra increased Sunderland’s stranglehold before the break with his first league goal since arriving from Strasbourg last year.

Chemsdine Talbi’s second half rocket ensured Sunderland climbed to eighth place to maintain their impressive return to the top-flight.

The Black Cats are unbeaten at home in the Premier League since winning promotion from the Championship last season.

Second-bottom Burnley are 11 points from safety and winless in 15 games as they slump towards an immediate return to the second tier.

A defeat against third-bottom West Ham on Saturday would be another huge blow to Burnley’s faint survival hopes.

“We were just nowhere near it really. We were never in this game in any aspect. We looked like a childish team that had no intent about us,” Parker said.

“I didn’t see a team with purpose or that came to make a mark. I understand that we are in a difficult moment, but in this division, more than ever, we need to reboot.

“We are running out of time. We sit where we sit for a reason. We must try and come back stronger and keep improving.”

Burnley defender Kyle Walker echoed Parker’s damning assessment.

“Terrible. We’ve come here to get something from the game and got nothing, so as a club that’s fighting for survival it’s not acceptable,” he said.

“It’s 22 men on a football pitch, it’s about who wants it more and they wanted it more than us.”

Asked if Sunderland could push for a place in Europe, Le Bris said: “For me, the target remains the same. The first target is around 40 points, maybe more.

“We are a newly-promoted side and we feel that we can change the momentum. The league is tough. For us, go to 40 and see if we can get more.”

Sunderland made the perfect start in the ninth minute when Diarra played a one-two with Brian Brobbey and surged into the penalty area.

Diarra found space for a low drive that took a hefty deflection off Tuanzebe on its way past wrong-footed Burnley keeper Martin Dubravka.

Sunderland’s relentless pressure paid off in the 32nd minute as Diarra struck again at the climax of a flowing move.

Enzo Le Fee picked out Nordi Mukiele and his low cross reached Diarra, whose initial effort was blocked before he pounced on the rebound to blast past Dubravka’s weak attempted save.

Parker’s team, beaten 15 times in 24 league games this term, were unable to muster a single shot on target.

And Talbi rubbed salt into Burnley’s wounds in the 72nd minute, cutting in from the left wing to curl an unstoppable strike into the top corner from the edge of the area.

Romero criticises Tottenham’s ‘disgraceful’ squad shortage

Tottenham Hotspur captain Cristian Romero said it was ‘disgraceful’ that only 11 fit players were available during their 2-2 Premier League draw against Manchester City on Sunday.

Romero had to withdraw at halftime due to illness with Pape Matar Sarr coming on in his place, as the North London club overcame the two-goal deficit in the second half to salvage a point.

“Great effort from all my team-mates, they were incredible,” Romero wrote in a post on Instagram on Monday.

“I wanted to be available to help them even though I wasn’t feeling well, especially since we only had 11 players available - unbelievable but true and disgraceful.

“We’ll keep showing up and taking responsibility to turn this around, working hard and staying together. All that’s left is to thank all of you for being there and for always supporting us, the fans.”

Tottenham did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside normal business hours.

Spurs are presently without forward Mohammed Kudus who suffered a quad injury that is expected to keep him out until April, while midfielders Lucas Bergvall and Rodrigo Bentancur have also been sidelined due to injuries.

Striker Richarlison and defender Pedro Porro are also dealing with hamstring strains, while midfielder James Maddison has been out of action since last August due to a ligament tear.

The club signed midfielder Conor Gallagher from Atletico Madrid, along with the 19-year-old Brazilian defender Souza from Santos in the January window, but sold last season’s top scorer Brennan Johnson to Crystal Palace.

Tottenham, who are 14th in the Premier League table with 29 points in 24 games, will face Manchester United on Saturday at Old Trafford.

Agencies