A brace from summer signing Joe Allen has helped Stoke City to their first win of the Premier League season, plunging rock-bottom Sunderland into deeper relegation trouble.
The former Liverpool man has now provided the goals in each of the Potters' last three league games to help lift them out of the relegation zone.
The hosts had their noses in front on just eight minutes when Marko Arnautovic got to the byline and found Allen, who finished with a simple head in from a few yards out.
Sunderland then came close to finding an equaliser as Wahbi Khazri's shot from the right almost found Jermain Defoe, but Ryan Shawcross was alert to keep out the danger.
With the break looming, Allen claimed his second of the day, collecting 18 yards out from a Shawcross header and rifling home through a packed box.
Stoke came out the stronger in the second half and could have made it three as Wilfried Bony sought his first goal of the campaign, but Black Cats keeper Jordan Pickford was on hand with a fine save.
The Potters did have the ball in the net with 20 minutes to go as Arnautovic fired in after a Charlie Adam cross, but the linesman raised the flag for offside.
The result leaves David Moyes's side with just two points to show from their opening eight games of the season, while Mark Hughes's charges move two points clear of danger to 17th.
Neil Wilkes
