Romelu Lukaku scored a second-half hat-trick as Everton recorded a 3-0 victory over Sunderland in Monday night's Premier League clash at the Stadium of Light.
Lukaku ended his 13-game scoring drought in spectacular fashion as his treble secured all the points for Everton, who have moved into third position in the Premier League table, while winless Sunderland, who were booed off the pitch, remain in the relegation zone.
Everton had a half-chance inside the first minute when Yannick Bolasie delivered a dangerous cross into the path of Lukaku, but Jordan Pickford was on hand to make a smart claim in the Sunderland net.
The home side were next to come close in the 10th minute when Jermain Defoe met a deflected Adnan Januzaj effort inside the Everton box, but the forward somehow fired over the crossbar from close range.
Three minutes later, Everton had an even better chance when Lukaku met a super cross from Bolasie, but Pickford made a stunning one-handed save to keep the two teams on terms at the Stadium of Light.
Lukaku continued to cause the Sunderland back four problems as he managed to turn away from Lamine Kone and strike towards goal in the 20th minute, but the busy Pickford once again made a smart save.
Sunderland had their moments on the counter-attack, but it was Everton that continued to look the more likely to make the breakthrough and only an important block from Kone prevented Kevin Mirallas from testing Pickford with a powerful strike in the 31st minute.
Sunderland almost edged ahead late in the first half when Lynden Gooch sent a curling effort towards the top corner, but Maarten Stekelenburg was on hand to make the stop.
An end-to-end start to the second period saw both teams have half-chances, but Pickford kept out a long-range Mirallas effort, before Defoe had one deflected over the crossbar by Ashley Williams down the other end. Kone came even closer for Sunderland from the resulting corner, but Stekelenburg stood tall to make the save.
The tempo was showing no signs of slowing down, and half-time substitute Gerard Deulofeu saw his close-range strike blocked in the 54th minute, before Lukaku just turned a Seamus Coleman effort wide of the post from barely five yards out.
Lukaku made no mistake on the hour, however, as the Belgium international headed a super Idrissa Gueye cross into the back of the net to end a scoring drought that had run 1139 minutes for his club.
Gueye might have made it 2-0 barely three minutes later when the midfielder approached a loose ball inside the Sunderland box, but his effort was wide of Pickford's post, before Lukaku smashed the crossbar with a thumping strike.
Lukaku was a man on a mission and scored his second in the 68th minute when the former Chelsea striker headed a Bolasie cross past Pickford from close range after being left unmarked at the far post.
The towering forward then completed his hat-trick three minutes later when he collected a through-pass from Mirallas before finding the bottom corner as boos rang out around the Stadium of Light.
The home supporters headed for the exits as Everton continued to dominate the possession in the latter stages, and Deulofeu only just missed the post in the 84th minute as Sunderland just about avoided more embarrassment.
Next up for Sunderland is a trip to Tottenham Hotspur next Sunday, while Everton will look to continue their unbeaten start to the new season when they host Middlesbrough on Saturday night.
Matt Law
