For Sunderland, the interminable wait is over. At the 11th time of asking, the bottom-placed team have their first win of the season. David Moyes’s side were second best in every facet of the game apart from the scoreline, yet they displayed an impressive combination of spirit and fight to not only come from behind but do so with 10 men, in turn boosting their hopes of clambering out of the bottom three.
Dan Gosling had put Bournemouth in front, but the hosts’ inability to finish a hatful of good chances proved costly. Victor Anichebe, making his first start for Sunderland, scored the equaliser and despite being penned back after Steven Pienaar was shown a second yellow card an hour in, Jermain Defoe’s penalty, won by Anichebe, ensured that Moyes, who was serving a touchline ban for swearing at an official during the EFL Cup defeat to Southampton 10 days ago, will enter the international break no longer worrying whether his position is tenable.
“Sometimes you need a bit of good fortune on your side,” he said, but they also helped to create their own luck. Sunderland conceded 70% of the ball and faced 22 shots, but they were not just hungry and determined throughout – the Black Cats also displayed ruthlessness in front of goal.
At the same time, a fine Jordan Pickford performance combined with Bournemouth’s profligacy kept them in the game, and Moyes said his team looked haggard and were overrun during the spell immediately following Pienaar’s dismissal. Indeed, by that juncture Bournemouth could already have been out of sight.
Gosling’s finish for the 11th-minute opener may have been unconventional but everything about the buildup play was typical of Eddie Howe’s team. Junior Stanislas spotted the run of Adam Smith to his right and sent a lovely through-ball from near the penalty arc. The defender timed his run perfectly and squared to Gosling, who bundled the ball home with his belly from about four yards.
A quickfire second seemed on the cards when Stanislas found the side netting after some strong hold-up play from Joshua King, while he almost had an assist when returning the favour to King in the 27th minute. Pickford did well to palm away the striker’s powerful drive.
In contrast Sunderland seldom found an opportunity to attack but Moyes’s decision to play with two up front paid off when Anichebe was fed by Defoe 12 minutes before half-time. With his back to goal, the target man fended off Simon Francis’s challenge before turning and sending a ferocious shot high into Artur Boruc’s net. “Victor’s got a lot going for him,” Moyes said. “He doesn’t always show it but he did today, that’s for sure.”
It was the visitors’ first notable chance but they were undoubtedly buoyed by regaining parity. Duncan Watmore found the net just before the interval only to be ruled offside upon meeting Billy Jones’s cross.
Boruc was forced to palm away a Didier N’Dong shot after 55 minutes but Sunderland’s belief was tempered by Pienaar’s sending off a couple of minutes later. Booked late in the first half for a tackle on Jack Wilshere, the midfielder was shown a second yellow for planting his studs on the right shin of Stanislas.
Bournemouth almost made the advantage count immediately when Stanislas hit a post. A slew of opportunities followed in the proceeding minutes. Gosling had a goalward effort deflected for a corner, Harry Arter headed wide and Wilshere failed to hit the target from eight yards.
The on-loan Arsenal midfielder is expected to be in Gareth Southgate’s England squad, which will be announced on Sunday, though Howe was unwilling to comment. “It’s difficult until I know for sure,” the Bournemouth manager said. “Jack did well today. He was hugely influential behind a lot of our good moments.”
Sunderland’s lack of attacking intent in the immediate period following the sending-off could be summed up by Defoe becoming an auxiliary right-back. But Jason Denayer’s introduction for Paddy McNair allowed the visiting captain the chance to reassume an attacking role and he started the move that led to the penalty by nutmegging Charlie Daniels near the touchline. From there he picked out Watmore who, in turn, passed to Anichebe. The striker took a heavy touch in the area but was then hauled down by a sliding Smith. Mike Dean had no hesitation in pointing to the spot and Defoe was as cool as ever.
Benik Afobe and Steve Cook both missed the target, while Pickford produced another for his show reel when turning a stinging King shot over his bar as Bournemouth tried to draw level.
“It’s unlike us,” Howe said. “We created a hatful of chances but we couldn’t put them away. It was a frustrating afternoon.”
However, Sunderland nervously played out five minutes of injury-time before erupting in celebration.
