Match ends, Sunderland 0, Burnley 0.
SunderlandSunderland0BurnleyBurnley0
Bottom club Sunderland drifted further from safety with a draw at home to Burnley, whose wait for a first away win of the Premier League season continues.
Burnley should have made their early superiority tell through Ashley Barnes, who prodded wide from six yards out just before the break, following Scott Arfield's defence-splitting flick.
After half-time, Sunderland improved hugely, and Tom Heaton made a fine stop at his far post to deny Adnan Januzaj's volley, before Billy Jones somehow headed a glorious chance wide from four yards out.
Jordan Pickford denied Sam Vokes with three minutes to play, while Heaton pulled off another save to turn Fabio Borini's shot wide as both sides continued to spurn good chances right up to the final whistle.
David Moyes' side are now without a win from their past six home matches, and Crystal Palace's 1-0 victory over Watford plunged them further into relegation trouble.
With 10 matches of the season remaining, the Black Cats are now seven points away from Swansea in 17th, with the Welsh club beaten 2-0 by Bournemouth in Saturday's 17:30 GMT kick-off.
The draw at the Stadium of Light was 13th-placed Burnley's third on the road this season, with Sean Dyche's side having taken three points from a possible 45 away from Turf Moor.
How did Jones miss?
Following his return to the England squad on Thursday, all eyes were on Jermain Defoe as the man most likely to spearhead what would have been a vital Sunderland win.
The striker has scored 14 of his side's 24 goals in the league this season, but he was a peripheral figure in a disjointed and nervy performance that only briefly improved in short periods after the break.
Januzaj should have scored but hit Defoe's clipped pass across goal straight at Burnley keeper Heaton, Seb Larsson skied over from close range as the ball was played back, but the best chance fell to full-back Jones.
Running to the far post at speed, he appeared to lose his balance when failing to steer in what looked like a simple chance on his head from Larsson's excellent cross.
The miss may prove to be costly indeed.
Where there was faint hope of survival following Sunderland's 4-0 thumping of Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park in early February, there must now be a growing realisation that relegation to England's second tier - from where they were promoted as 2006-07 champions - is the far more likely outcome.
Burnley's wait goes on
Burnley manager Sean Dyche said his side were unfortunate to come away with nothing from an excellent display at Liverpool last Sunday, and he may well feel the same about drawing on Wearside.
Barnes' missed chance came at the end of a first half the Clarets totally dominated, and it was only during a 15-minute spell after the break that Sunderland fought back and conjured openings of their own.
Late substitute Vokes had two good chances in the game's closing stages, his second following a bad Jason Denayer error in defence that he should have profited from with a goal.
Sunderland centre-back Denayer dallied on the ball and allowed Vokes to steal in, but the striker's powerful low shot was denied by Pickford's strong right hand, with just three minutes to play.
The point moves Burnley level with Derby County's team of 2007-08 as the side with the joint worst away record in Premier League history.
But they still have four away matches - against Middlesbrough, Everton, Crystal Palace and Bournemouth - to move themselves clear of that very unwelcome record.
| Season | Team | Won | Draw | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-17 | Burnley | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 2007-08 | Derby County | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 2009-10 | Burnley | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 1999-00 | Watford | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| 2016-17 | Hull | 1 | 2 | 5 |
Man of the match - Scott Arfield (Burnley)
Sunderland fail to score again - the stats
- Sunderland failed to score in a Premier League game for the 13th time this season - no side has failed to find the net more often.
- The Clarets kept only their second away clean sheet this season - their first since a 0-0 draw at Old Trafford in October.
- Sean Dyche's side had 17 shots, the joint most they've ever managed in a single Premier League away game.
- Keeper Jordan Pickford played more passes (48) and had more touches (59) than any other Sunderland player.
'We missed some big chances today'
Sunderland manager David Moyes, speaking to BBC Sport: "Our first half wasn't as good as the second. We missed some big chances today, which maybe we've not been getting in other games, but you've got to take them.
"Burnley make it difficult for a lot of teams, and they had one or two chances themselves, but we had to take one of ours. I thought we had the best of them.
"Billy had a header, Adnan had a chance at the back post, there were three or four. The players gave their all but we lacked a bit of quality at times - in all areas."
Burnley boss Sean Dyche, speaking to BBC Sport: "Only three points away, but we've been working hard. We had two golden chances in the first half and were in control of the game, then they came out and improved.
"They had to try and win and threw caution to the wind, we got a bit nervy and were not quite as good as we were at Anfield last week. But that's the madness of it. We lost against Liverpool and got a point today.
"Sometimes you need that rub of the green and I thought when Vokesy went through that one would seal it for us, but Pickford, an excellent young keeper, made a very fine save. It was a game of missed chances for both sides."
What's next?
Sunderland next play away to Watford in the Premier League on 1 April, after the international break. Burnley host Tottenham in the league on the same day.
Line-ups
Sunderland
Formation 4-3-3
- 13Pickford
- 2JonesBooked at 86mins
- 4Denayer
- 16O'Shea
- 3Oviedo
- 24GibsonBooked at 58minsSubstituted forNdongat 74'minutes
- 8Rodwell
- 7LarssonSubstituted forKhazriat 78'minutes
- 44Januzaj
- 18Defoe
- 9BoriniBooked at 81mins
Substitutes
- 1Mannone
- 5Djilobodji
- 10Khazri
- 15Lescott
- 17Ndong
- 21Manquillo
- 39Honeyman
Burnley
Formation 4-4-2
- 1Heaton
- 2Lowton
- 5Keane
- 6Mee
- 23Ward
- 21BoydSubstituted forBradyat 74'minutes
- 19BartonBooked at 23mins
- 13Hendrick
- 37Arfield
- 10BarnesSubstituted forVokesat 65'minutes
- 7Gray
Substitutes
- 4Flanagan
- 9Vokes
- 12Brady
- 16Defour
- 17Robinson
- 18Westwood
- 26Tarkowski
- Referee:
- Robert Madley
- Attendance:
- 41,518
Match Stats
Home TeamSunderlandAway TeamBurnley
- Possession
- Home44%
- Away56%
- Shots
- Home14
- Away16
- Shots on Target
- Home5
- Away3
- Corners
- Home3
- Away5
- Fouls
- Home14
- Away7
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Sunderland 0, Burnley 0.
Post update
Corner, Sunderland. Conceded by Tom Heaton.
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Attempt saved. Fabio Borini (Sunderland) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the top left corner. Assisted by Billy Jones.
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Corner, Burnley. Conceded by Jason Denayer.
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Attempt blocked. Scott Arfield (Burnley) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
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Attempt blocked. Robbie Brady (Burnley) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Joey Barton.
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Andre Gray (Burnley) wins a free kick on the right wing.
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Foul by Didier Ndong (Sunderland).
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Attempt blocked. Scott Arfield (Burnley) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Robbie Brady with a cross.
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Attempt saved. Sam Vokes (Burnley) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom left corner.
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Attempt saved. Robbie Brady (Burnley) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Andre Gray.
Booking
Billy Jones (Sunderland) is shown the yellow card.
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Stephen Ward (Burnley) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Billy Jones (Sunderland).
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Attempt missed. Sam Vokes (Burnley) header from the centre of the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Robbie Brady with a cross following a set piece situation.
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Stephen Ward (Burnley) wins a free kick on the left wing.
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Foul by Didier Ndong (Sunderland).
Booking
Fabio Borini (Sunderland) is shown the yellow card.
Post update
Stephen Ward (Burnley) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Comments
Join the conversation
Burnley are one of the few profit making clubs. British manager, British players, boxing way above their weight in a honourable fashion. Defying the odds, winning fans across the world. Get an education you moron.
Defoe has earned his England recall for sure and way past due even if markthelegendkid you don't think so pick a better striker.
Markthelegendkis talks nonsense.
The service that Defoe receives from the rest of the team is abysmal and would be more to the liking of a neanderthal. Nonetheless he scores more than all other PL strikers other than Kane.
As a Sunderland fan, we've been dodging the drop for a few seasons now, but I think we've finally rode our luck. Always had a gut feeling we'd get out of it, but not this time.
Will Moyes get us back up? I hope he's more confident in public about our chances of promotion than he was about us staying up. He's been pretty negative from the start.
Flying south this time though.
Answer is relegation:.. finally used up our nine lives. Supporters have had too much misery this season. Championship will be a real struggle with this manager. We will lose our best players. It is difficult to see any positives coming out of this situation with current owner and management team. Time for a massive shake up!!
His signings like Ndong for 13m are shocking
We are doomed
We are down
When he's sacked I will return as at the moment 40 thousand fans are being insulted each week. Season tickets won't be renewed. We are not stupid
8 hours ago
Nothing like football to stir things up in North East.I have followed Sunderland since I was in junior school (over 50 years ago!) and I suppose I'll support them until I shuffle out of this life.They have never made it easy for there fans
THERE fans???, THERE fans???, it should be "THEIR fans"- Literacy is really going downhill these days