All hail the King.
On a day when Sunderland rolled out the red carpet for their prospective new owners, by full time the trio watching from an executive box joined the near 30,000 at the Stadium of Light in paying homage to the man Black Cats fans have dubbed 'The King' - Chris Maguire .
It was Maguire's imperious hat-trick that sunk AFC Wimbledon, sealing a fourth successive victory for Sunderland - three of which have come in the league - and kept the new-found positivity flowing on Wearside.
The grumblings of the first couple of games, when iffy performances and back-to-back draws sparked premature panic, seemed a long, long, way away.
Now, with fresh investment on the horizon from US guests John Phelan, Glenn Fuhrman, and Robert Platek, a winning streak to extend Sunderland's unbeaten start, and a game which saw Jack Ross' men turn in their best display of the season so far, the Black Cats find themselves in a good place.
Their early-season efforts have taken them joint-top of League One and, while it is still very early days, it is another sign of team heading in the right direction.
If the pre-match buzz was sparked by the presence of the men who could soon be in charge, when the game got under way the excitement was driven by a man who took control out on the pitch.
Maguire put his side ahead with neat finish after Sunderland went route one inside the first ten minutes.
There was the customary defensive lapse which allowed AFC Wimbledon to equalise through Kwesi Appiah.
But Maguire fired Sunderland back in front early in the second half with a deflected effort from outside the area, and 10 minutes from time he glanced home a header to round off his hat-trick and kill off the Dons.
Maguire's treble was the first scored by a Sunderland player since Jermain Defoe in a 4-2 win at Swansea City in January 2016.
And it was the first scored by a Sunderland player at the Stadium of Light since Defoe led from the front in a 6-3 League Cup win over Exeter City in August 2015.
And not since March 2010, when Darren Bent scored three in a 4-0 demolition against Bolton Wanderers, has a Sunderland player scored a hat-trick in the league on home soil.
Maguire fully deserved the standing ovation he received as he made his way round the perimeter of the pitch after being substituted soon after his third goal.
His goals capped a dominant all-round performance and Sunderland could - and should - have won by an even more emphatic scoreline.
Aiden McGeady and Charlie Wyke both brought good saves out of the goalkeeper, while sub Will Grigg missed the target after doing well to work an excellent shooting chance.
At the other end, Wimbledon's goal came from their only effort on target, with Appiah left unmarked when Luke O'Nien briefly switched off.
Sunderland have yet to keep a clean sheet this season and that is something Ross is determined to address, with defensive reinforcements in the shape of former QPR centre-back Joel Lynch and the long-awaited extra body to offer cover and competition for Denver Hume at left-back.
But that lack of a clean sheet was no more than a minor gripe on an otherwise good day for the Black Cats, as their momentum continues to build.
