Januzaj’s final action of today’s game is to pick up a booking after persistently fouling Stoke’s players.
90' +4
Stoke are just playing keep-ball now as they look to see this game out. Januzaj fouls Crouch wide on the right-hand side and Stoke are in no hurry to take the free-kick.
90' +1
Jason Denayer picks up the ball on the edge of the Stoke box and decides to shoot but sees his effort blocked. His teammates are screaming at him as he had two men free to his right to play in on goal and this type of decision-making has been the root of many of Sunderland’s problems today.
90'
There will be five minutes of additional time in the second half here at the Stadium of Light. Is there enough time for Sunderland to try and salvage something?
89'
J. Ngoy enters the game and replaces X. Shaqiri.
Julian Ngoy comes on for his second substitute appearance of the season in place of Xherdan Shaqiri. The young Belgian normally plays up front but has gone out onto the right wing in a straight swap with Shaqiri.
87'
Sunderland have lost their shape going forward and have now resorted to long ball tactics. The home fans have understandably become frustrated with this and are leaving in their thousands.
84'
The injury problems faced by David Moyes are epitomised by the fact that he’s yet to make a change even with his side two goals down. The lack of a senior attacking player to bring off the bench is making it very difficult for Sunderland to try and get back into this game.
81'
Sunderland are really putting Stoke under pressure now but can’t find a way through the two compact defensive lines being formed by the visitors. Shaqiri then breaks once again and almost finds Arnautovic with his cross, but the winger can’t gather the ball in and Sunderland come forward again.
77'
Jason Denayer is found from the resulting corner but loops his header harmlessly over the bar. On closer inspection, Fabio Borini did seem to drag his studs when challenging Erik Pieters but the offence wasn’t spotted by any of the officials.
76'
Erik Pieters has gone down several times this half and this time it’s on the halfway line after a challenge from Borini leaving Stoke a man light at the back. The home side manage to win a corner before the game is stopped so that the Dutchman can receive treatment.
Minute
Description
72'
P. van Aanholt gets yellow.
Xherdan Shaqiri had nicked possession off Sunderland and a cynical foul from Patrick Van Aanholt brings down the winger to avoid his side being overrun on the break. He picks up a booking for his troubles.
71'
Stoke have started to sit back to protect their lead and are encouraging Sunderland to push forward so that they can hit them on the break. This game is far from over if Mark Hughes’ side insist on sitting so deep without the ball.
68'
I. Afellay enters the game and replaces C. Adam.
Charlie Adam is brought off and replaced by Ibrahim Afellay who makes his fourth league appearance of the season. Joe Allen drops back alongside Glenn Whelan as Afellay slots in between Shaqiri and Arnautovic.
67'
Sunderland’s fans are frustrated again as Januzaj is caught offside after trying to take a short corner with Borini instead of putting the ball into the box.
62'
P. Djilobodji gets yellow.
It’s a very poor challenge by Djilobodji who is late on Arnautovic with a two-footed slide tackle. He was off the ground too and there have definitely been cases where players have been sent off for similar offences this season.
61'
Stoke are starting to look a little shaky at the back as Lee Grant fails to gather a cross, but Jermain Defoe can’t find a teammate as he recovers the ball from the Stoke goalkeeper’s mistake.
60'
WHAT A CHANCE! Jack Rodwell hasn’t scored since May but should have had two today! The ball is played into Stoke’s box and isn’t clearly properly before it finds it’s way to Rodwell. He has time to take a touch but still manages to scuff his shot wide.
58'
It should have been a hat-trick!! Shaqiri’s runs clear of Sunderland’s midfield and his perfectly weighted pass finds Arnautovic running across the home side’s back line, but he slightly drags his shot and it goes safely wide of Mannone’s far post.
56'
C. Adam gets yellow.
Almost a carbon copy of a foul from the first minute of the game as Charlie Adam brings down Jack Rodwell and the Stoke player becomes the first man to go into the referee’s book.
52'
CHANCE! Some good build-up play from Stoke, that includes some very unusual step overs from Shaqiri. He then finds Charlie Adam on the edge of the box whose shot ricochets into the path of Peter Crouch, but he can’t get any power behind his volley which he strikes straight at Mannone.
50'
Stoke give away a corner after a clever run from Adnan Januzaj. He makes contact with Glenn Whelan but no free-kick is given and then the Stoke midfielder slips before he can stop the ball going out of play. The corner evades all of Sunderland’s players but Joe Allen can’t capitalise on the counter attack.
48'
Glen Johnson is brought down by Jack Rodwell on the edge of the Sunderland box and Stoke have a free kick. Arnautovic, Shaqiri and Charlie Adam stand over it…and it’s bent just wide of Mannone’s left-hand post by the Scotsman!
47'
GOOD SAVE! Sunderland have the first chance of the second half and it’s Fabio Borini that it falls to. The angle is always tightening for the Italian but his shot is hit straight at Lee Grant who parries is away from danger.
46'
The referee blows his whistle and Stoke get us started for the second half.
45' +2
The referee calls an end to the first half which is greeted by boos from the home fans.
45'
There will be two minutes of additional time in the first half.
43'
Glenn Whelan is the latest player to put in a late challenge that goes unpunished by Mike Dean who is yet to brandish a card to any player this half. The free kick is taken quickly but Fabio Borini’s touch is too heavy and he’s tackled by Erik Pieters.
40'
J. Defoe has scored a goal for Sunderland! Assist by D. Love.
It’s safe to say Donald Love has had better games in a Sunderland shirt this season but he manages to find Jermain Defoe with a well-timed long ball and has given the Sunderland fans that hadn’t already left their seats for half time something to cheer about.
GOOOAAALLLL!! DEFOE!!! Sunderland have a lifeline five minutes before half time! Jermain Defoe caps his 500th English career league appearance with a goal and it’s his first chance of the game. A long ball over-the-top finds Defoe who beats the offside trap and gives Lee Grant no chance as his shot goes in off the post.
37'
CHANCE FOR SUNDERLAND!! It’s the best chance of the game for the hosts so far, as Fabio Borini plays in Jack Rodwell. The midfielder hits a powerful effort straight at Lee Grant who can only parry it back into his path, but Ryan Shawcross comes across and puts the ball behind for a corner.
34'
P. Crouch has scored a goal for Stoke City! Assist by C. Adam.
The ball came out from the corner after Stoke hit the post and eventually found its way to Charlie Adam who whips in a ball from fifty yards away and Peter Crouch does the rest.
GOOOOAAAALLLL!!! CROUCH!!! It’s a third for Stoke and Vito Mannone will not want to see this again! Charlie Adam is on the left touchline and puts in a long ball towards Crouch. The striker gets up and beats the goalkeeper in the air and simply heads the ball into the empty net. It’s Crouch third goal in four matches and already some Sunderland fans have seen enough today.
33'
OFF THE POST!!! David Moyes will be fuming on the touchline as Xherdan Shaqiri’s long-range effort is spilled by Mannone and trickles into the post before being put behind by the Italian goalkeeper. Denayer was tackled in the middles of the pitch but it was the awful distribution from Djilobodji that got him in trouble.
30'
Papy Djilobodji produces a piece of defending that sums up the first half an hour for Sunderland. He dispossesses Shaqiri in the box and attempts to shield the ball out of play, only to be outmuscled by Arnautovic who gives the ball straight back to his teammate. Fortunately for the Sunderland defender, Shaqiri is crowded out in the six-yard box and can’t get his shot away.
28'
Jermain Defoe has scored more league goals than the rest of Sunderland’s players combined and Stoke have done very well so far to keep him out of game and isolated from the rest of his side.
25'
There’s a real hostility from the home fans now as every time their side misplace a pass or make a mistake there are boos and groans from the crowd. Stoke look more energetic when they don’t have the ball and are putting Sunderland under pressure at every opportunity.
22'
M. Arnautović has scored a goal for Stoke City! Assist by P. Crouch.
The assist will go down as Peter Crouch’s but both he and Xherdan Shaqiri make perfect one-touch passes into the path of Arnautovic for this goal. The classic cliché ‘he’s got a good touch for a big man’ immediately comes to mind!
GOOOOAAAALLLLL!!! ARNAUTOVIC AGAIN!! Well Stoke have been firing the ball into the Sunderland box at every opportunity but this goal is all about finesse! Some fantastic one-touch football from Stoke’s forward’s ends up with Arnautovic one-on-one with Mannone and the winger makes no mistake in front of goal. The visitors have doubled their lead and Sunderland’s fans are beginning to worry.
17'
That strike from Arnautovic was his first league goal since September when he scored at Selhurst Park against Crystal Palace and it was very well taken at the second attempt. Sunderland at the other end have their first shot of the match but Rodwell’s effort is struck straight at Januzaj who can’t control the ball.
15'
M. Arnautović has scored a goal for Stoke City!
GOOOOAAAALLLL!!! ARNAUTOVIC!!! It’s been coming for Stoke and the away side are in front! Denayer loses possession and a long ball is fantastically controlled by the Austrian. His first shot is saved by Mannone but the rebound is well struck past the goalkeeper at his near post.
12'
There’s another cross into the box, this time from Shaqiri and it finds Arnautovic at the back post. His header is on target but has no power behind it and is easily gathered by Vito Mannone. Stoke’s gameplan is very clear; get the ball into the box quickly and put Sunderland’s defenders under pressure.
10'
CHANCE! It’s the first clear opportunity for Peter Crouch as Glen Johnson puts in a cross from deep on the right-hand side that finds the forward. Donald Love does just enough to put Crouch off and deflects it behind for the first corner of the game which is subsequently wasted by Shaqiri.
7'
Marko Arnautovic and Xherdan Shaqiri are pushing high up the pitch and Sunderland are trying to exploit the space in behind by playing the ball out quickly to Donald Love and Patrick Van Aanholt. It hasn’t caused Stoke any major problems so far, but Stoke’s full-backs do look slightly vulnerable when the hosts have possession.
3'
Xherdan Shaqiri puts in a cross from the right wing that finds Crouch, but the striker can’t get any power on his header. The ball rebounds off a defender and finds Joe Allen, who over hits his cross and the chance is gone.
2'
There’s an early free-kick for Sunderland as Charlie Adam catches Jack Rodwell late inside the Stoke half and referee Mike Dean has a word with the Scotsman. Fabio Borini takes the free kick which is headed away by Peter Crouch.
1'
Sunderland kick us off, and we are underway!
Hello and welcome to our LIVE Premier League coverage of Sunderland vs Stoke! We return to league action at the Stadium of Light after a round of FA Cup games which saw today’s home side held to a goalless draw with Burnley, while Stoke fell to a surprising home defeat to Wolves.
Both sides fielded strong line-ups last weekend but will be forced into changes as David Moyes and Mark Hughes contend with injuries and the start of the African Cup of Nations. Lamine Kone, Wahbi Khazri and Didier Ndong have departed to join their national sides for Sunderland, while Stoke are without Mame Biram Diouf, Wilfried Bony and Ramadan Sobhi.
Injuries are likely to play a key part in David Moyes’ selection with the Black Cats manager being quoted as saying he only has twelve fit outfield players to choose from for this afternoon’s game, and Moyes may have to dip into his reserves in order to field a full squad.
Mark Hughes also has several injury worries with Jonathan Walters unavailable as he waits to have a knee operation. Bojan is also likely to miss out after being substituted at half-time last weekend against Wolves with a suspected hip problem.
Today’s teams have been announced, and here’s how both sides line up starting with the hosts…
Sunderland currently sit in the bottom three and only a win today will lift them out of the relegation zone. However, Stoke have yet to win at the Stadium of Light in the Premier League and have only picked up two points in their last eight visits. Stoke’s poor start to the campaign has been put behind them and the Potters now sit eleventh in the table, and could move into the top half with a win.
SUNDERLAND Starting XI (4-3-3): Mannone; Love, O’Shea, Djilobodji, Van Aanholt; Denayer, Rodwell, Larsson; Januzaj, Defoe, Borini.
Team News: David Moyes makes a single change to the side that drew with Burnley last weekend, with John O’Shea coming in to replace Javier Manquillo who drops to the bench. Mark Hughes makes three changes to his Stoke side, with Glenn Whelan and Charlie Adam replacing Ibrahim Afellay and Giannelli Imbula in the centre of midfield and Joe Allen coming in for the injured Bojan. There’s also a first call-up for 20-year-old full back Joel Taylor who starts on the bench for Stoke this afternoon.
The teams are out and we are just moments away from kick-off here at the Stadium of Light!
HALF TIME: SUNDERLAND 1-3 STOKE
It’s been a fantastic first half for any neutrals watching today’s game and Stoke have been on top for the majority of the first half. Mark Hughes will be frustrated that his side conceded late in the half but the way Sunderland are defending at the back, he’ll be confident that his side can add to their advantage after the break.
If Sunderland are to get anything out of this afternoon’s match then they need to get Defoe into the game more than they have done so far. The midfield three of Sebastian Larsson, Denayer and Rodwell have been ineffectual and offered little going forward or at the back and defensively Sunderland have been frighteningly poor.
The players are back out on the pitch, the fans are back in their seats and we are about to get underway!
FULL-TIME: SUNDERLAND 1-3 STOKE
Stoke were dominant all throughout the first half and put the game to bed well before half-time. Jermain Defoe’s equaliser just before the break gave the home side some hope, but they were lacklustre going forward and very poor at the back. David Moyes will have his work cut out keeping his side out of the relegation zone if they continue to play like that, while Mark Hughes will be happy with the result, if not slightly concerned that his side couldn’t put the result well out of Sunderland’s reach.
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