Arnautovic fires quick double as Sunderland sink into despair
Sunderland are a poor team who rely on grit, determination and fighting spirit to disguise their deficiencies. This was a painful reminder of what happens when they fail to mask their weakness.
It was a performance that provoked anger, resentment and fury. Sunderland were dreadful and mentally fragile. They looked like a team who will be relegated in May. In the main, it was just embarrassing and, for the thousands who left their seats after Stoke had scored their third goal with 15 minutes to go until half-time, unwatchable.
Stoke were so superior that, although Sunderland rallied after Jermain Defoe had pulled a goal back, they never really looked capable of mounting a comeback.
The Black Cats have been strong at home under David Moyes – their survival hopes are built on it – but this was a nasty reminder of why they have been in the bottom three all season.
“We made three individual mistakes, bad mistakes,” said Moyes, who once again named Academy players on the bench and did not use any of them. “You need a big pair of you know what to play here and the damage was done in the first half an hour.
“Everybody knows I’d like to strengthen the squad this month, but we’ll have to see. This was a bad day for us, it’s difficult for everyone.”
Stoke opened the scoring after a long ball from Xherdan Shaqiri, spotting the run of Marko Arnautovic, was floated over Donald Love’s head.
The angle favoured goalkeeper Vito Mannone, but the Italian, saving a weak first shot with his feet, then watched Arnautovic lash the second into the roof of the net. It was his first goal since September – but he had another seven minutes later.
Sunderland fell apart. The home defence did a version of the Mannequin challenge as Arnautovic played a onetwo with Shaqiri and then another with Peter Crouch, before finishing well.
By this point, Sunderland’s heads had gone. Papy Djilobodji appeared to stop playing at one point. Mannone was a nervous wreck, almost allowing a simple shot from Shaqiri to spill into the net.
Minutes later, another error from the goalkeeper presented Stoke with their third goal as he was beaten in the air by Crouch. It was his 99th Premier League goal. He probably should have made it 100, scuffing an easier chance in the second half.
Sunderland’s supporters were furious and, although their mood was eased a little when Defoe surprised everyone by running on to a long ball from Love and rolling a shot home via the inside of the post, this was as bad as it has been for a while.
“I’m very satisfied because we disappointed ourselves in the cup last week,” said Stoke manager Mark Hughes. “I wanted a reaction and that is as well as we have played away from home for a long time.”
Sunderland (4-4-1-1): Mannone 3; Love 5, O’Shea 5, Djilobodji 4, Van Aanholt 5; Borini 5 Denayer 4, Rodwell 6 Larsson 6; Januzaj 5; Defoe 6. Subs Mika (g), Jones, Manquillo, Honeyman, Asoro, Maja, Embleton. Booked Djilobodji, Van Aanholt, Januzaj. Stoke (4-2-3-1): Grant 7; Johnson 7, Shawcross 7, Martins Indi 6, Pieters 6; Adam 6 (Afellay 68), Whelan 7; Shaqiri 8 (Ngoy 89), Allen 7, Arnautovic 8; Crouch 7. Subs Given (g), Bardsley, Muniesa, Imbula, Taylor. Booked Adam. Referee M Dean (Wirral).