One last push from Stoke ends up with Bardsley on the right wing, who is dispossessed by Van Aanholt before the Dutchman clears the ball up towards the halfway line. That was surely Stoke's last attack of the game.
90' +2
Sunderland seem content to pass the ball around in the middle of the pitch, drawing Stoke, who are looking increasingly frustrated, into committing needless fouls.
90' +1
Bojan Krkić gets yellow.
90'
The corner is whipped into the box by Adam and the ball ends up pinging around the six-yard box before it's finally blasted up the pitch by Vergini.
The fourth official has indicated that there will be four minutes of added time.
89'
Cattermole fouls Arnautovic and Stoke are awarded a free kick 40 yards out. Adam sends it towards Wilson, but it's deflected out for another corner.
87'
Sunderland are unable to clear the ball away from danger after the corner is half cleared and Stoke remain firmly camped inside the hosts' half of the pitch. Bojan picks up the ball on the edge of the penalty area and sets up up Assaidi, who fires a shot towards Mannone that the Italian is able to save comfortably.
85'
N'Zonzi breaks forward before setting up Bojan, who then sends the ball out to Arnautovic on the right wing. The Austrian tries to twist and turn around Van Aanholt but the Dutchman is able to dispossess him before firing the ball out for a corner.
83'
Stoke are growing increasingly frustrated as they search for a way back into this game. Despite their best efforts, the Sunderland defence are holding firm and they look set to win all three points after putting in a fantastic shift at both ends of the pitch.
81'
Arnautovic pushes his way through the Sunderland midfield before embarking on a marauding run down the right flank. He sends a dangerous ball towards Walters in the middle of the box but O'Shea is there to clear the danger.
79'
S. Fletcher has scored a goal for Sunderland! Assist by C. Wickham.
GOAL! Sunderland have surely wrapped up their first Premier League win of the season thanks to a second goal for Fletcher! Wickham breaks away on a fantastic counter attack, pushing his way through both Shawcross and Muniesa before cutting the ball back to Rodwell. The substitute misfires completely but luckily Fletcher is behind him to blast the ball into the back of an empty net.
Minute
Description
78'
J. Walters enters the game and replaces P. Crouch.
77'
Johnson fires two crosses into the box in quick succession but both are cleared by Crouch, and Sunderland earn themselves another corner. This time they go short but, again, the Stoke defence are able to deal with the threat from the hosts.
75'
Sunderland break away down the left flank and Fletcher is able to win his side a corner after firing his attempted cross off the foot of Shawcross. The resulting set piece is sent in by Johnson but is only able to find the head of Crouch.
73'
Again, Assaidi tries to whip a cross in from the left flank but, put off by great defending by Jones, he scuffs it slightly and his effort ends up flying into the grateful hands of Mannone.
71'
L. Bridcutt enters the game and replaces Jordi Gómez.
J. Rodwell enters the game and replaces S. Larsson.
Stoke look full of confidence as they continue to push forward in search of an equalising goal, but the Sunderland defence are still refusing to let them find a way through their resolute back line.
70'
S. Fletcher gets yellow.
Bojan Krkić enters the game and replaces G. Whelan.
69'
A wonderful cross is whipped into the penalty area by Assaidi and it almost meets the outstretched foot of Crouch but is instead punched away by Mannone, who receives a boot in the face as a result.
67'
P. van Aanholt gets yellow.
There are plenty of challenges flying in at the moment. This time it's Van Aanholt on Arnautovic and, as expected, the Dutchman enters the referee's book, becoming the fifth player to do so.
66'
P. Bardsley gets yellow.
65'
Stoke are awarded a free kick after a poor challenge by Buckley on Assaidi, and it is eventually sent over towards Bardsley. The Scottish defender, who is completely unmarked in the middle of the pitch, decides to fire towards goal from far out but it clears the crossbar by some distance.
64'
B. Jones gets yellow.
63'
Sunderland have 10 men behind the ball as a determined Stoke side push forward. Arnautovic picks up the ball just outside of the penalty area and sends a cross towards Crouch, who is able to make contact with the ball with his head but is only able to send it further away from goal.
62'
O. Assaidi gets yellow.
61'
Great play by Sunderland! Larsson cuts in from the left wing before chipping a lovely cross towards the six-yard box. Shawcross is unable to deal with the lofted pass and ends up touching it on to Fletcher at the back post, but it takes the Sunderland striker by surprise and he's only able to send the ball out for a goal kick.
60'
A. Johnson enters the game and replaces W. Buckley.
59'
Sunderland push forward for one of the first times this half, and Cattermole is then brought down by Adam 35 yards out. Larsson takes the resulting free kick and sends it short to Gomez, who fires an audacious effort from far out that clears the crossbar by some distance.
57'
Sunderland are camped incredibly deep inside their own half of the pitch, inviting Stoke to come at them. This time, N'Zonzi decides to shoot from distance, but his effort is weak and it flies well wide of the goal.
55'
Again, Stoke push plenty of bodies forward in an attempt find an equalising goal. After not being able to find a way through the mass of red and white shirts in front of them, the ball is sent out to N'Zonzi on the right hand side, who brings the attack to an end with a poor cross that is easily dealt with by the Sunderland defence.
53'
It's all Stoke at the moment as they try to find their way past the plethora of Sunderland players camped inside their own half of the pitch. Assaidi weaves around two players before sending a good cross into the box that Wilson is able to head away, but only into the path of Bardsley, who ends up scuffing his shot from the edge of the penalty area.
51'
Gomez loses the ball in the middle of the pitch, allowing Crouch to break away on a quick counter attack. He's all on his own, however, and his run is quickly brought to an end by the sea of red and white shirts in front of him.
49'
Arnautovic and Gomez come together once again, but this it's the former that takes out the latter. Sunderland are awarded a free kick on the left flank and it's sent into the Stoke penalty area by the Spaniard but it's easily cleared away by Adam on the edge of the box.
47'
Gomez immediately goes flying into Arnautovic from the kick off and clatters into the Austrian, resulting in an early free kick for the visitors.
46'
And we're underway once again!
45' +2
Great save by Mannone! Shawcross launches a wonderful cross that finds Crouch, who fires a rocket of a volley towards goal that Mannone is just about able to punch away with a fantastic save.
45'
The fourth official has indicated that there will be two minutes of added time.
44'
Bardsley pushes forward down the right flank before cutting inside and teeing up Arnautovic, who sends a lovely cross into the penalty area that meets the head of Crouch, but his effort is tame and Mannone is able to save it comfortably.
42'
Stoke have pushed plenty of bodies forward in an attempt to find a an equaliser before half time, but the Sunderland defence are holding firm and keeping them at bay.
40'
Assaidi bundles Gomez to the floor with a poor challenge and Sunderland are awarded a free kick just outside of the Stoke penalty area on the right flank. Larsson fires a powerful cross that almost meets the head of Vergini on the edge of the six-yard box, but Wilson is just about able to get his head on it first.
38'
What a shot by Buckley! The Sunderland winger spots Begovic off his line and tries to beat him with an audacious effort from 30 yards out, but the Bosnian goalkeeper is just about able to tip the ball over the crossbar.
36'
Patient build-up play from Sunderland ends up with Larsson on the left wing, and he twists and turns around the Stoke defence before sending a pass towards Fletcher on the edge of the penalty area. It almost meets the Englishman but Shawcross is there to cut out the danger before firing the ball towards the halfway line.
34'
Whelan loses possession in the middle of the pitch, allowing Sunderland to break away. Buckley charges down the right wing before being wrestled to the ground by Assaidi, but the referee waves play on, despite the protests from almost everybody inside the stadium.
32'
Crouch sends a lovely ball through the heart of the Sunderland defence and into the path of Arnautovic, but the Austrian, who is just a few yards away from the goal, is unable to make contact with the ball and it ends up bouncing out for a goal kick.
30'
Adam curls a wonderful ball into the middle of the Sunderland penalty area that meets the head of Shawcross, but his effort flies just over the goal. It was so close that the Stoke fans started cheering, much to the amusement of the Sunderland supporters.
29'
Wickham brings down Bardsley just outside of the Sunderland penalty area, resulting in a free kick for the visitors in a dangerous position 25 yards out. Adam decides to shoot from the resulting set piece and Mannone is just about able to tip the ball over the top of the crossbar.
27'
Muniesa gets yellow.
Fletcher and Muniesa both go for the same high ball and end up clashing heads, resulting in a free kick for Sunderland and a yellow card for the Spaniard, who has been struggling so far.
25'
Assaidi breaks forward down the left flank and tries to beat Jones near the byline but the Sunderland right back is able to shepherd the ball out of play for a goal kick.
23'
S. Fletcher has scored a goal for Sunderland! Assist by Jordi Gómez.
GOAL! Sunderland are back in front once again! The corner is sent short and Gomez whips a fantastic cross into the heart of the Stoke penalty area that Fletcher is able to head into the bottom right hand corner of the net. Fantastic play once again from the hosts!
22'
Muniesa and Buckley wrestle for the ball down the right wing, resulting in a throw in for Sunderland. It's sent in to Fletcher, who chests the ball down before teeing up Larsson, but the Swedish midfielder's shot from the edge of the box is deflected out for a corner.
20'
Sunderland lose possession in the middle of the pitch and Stoke try to break away on a swift counter attack. Wilson picks up the ball and sends a quick pass towards Adam, but the effort is poor and it rolls out for a throw in for the hosts.
18'
O. Assaidi enters the game and replaces V. Moses.
Moses has been unable to recover from what looks like a muscle strain, so Hughes has been forced into replacing him with Assaidi.
17'
There are plenty of worried faces on the sideline as Moses, who was so instrumental in Stoke's goal, looks as if he may have to be replaced after picking up an injury.
15'
C. Adam has scored a goal for Stoke City! Assist by V. Moses.
GOAL! A great goal puts Stoke right back in this game! Sluggish defending allows Moses to break forward before sending a lovely pass to Adam, who beats Vergini on the edge of the box before firing the ball through the legs of O'Shea and past Mannone to make it 1-1.
14'
Moses beats Gomez down the left wing before smashing a low ball towards Crouch in the heart of the Sunderland penalty area, but Mannone is able to dive down low to collect the ball before it is able to meet its intended target.
13'
There's a short break in play after a clash between Jones and Begovic just inside the Stoke penalty area, but the Bosnian goalkeeper looks as if he is going to be able to continue.
11'
Sunderland break away down the left flank through Larsson and Wickham, with the pair playing a wonderful one-two between one another. The latter pushes up the pitch with the ball at his feet but Arnautovic is there to dispossess him before firing it back up towards the halfway line.
9'
Whelan is caught in possession near the halfway line and Gomez wins the ball from him with a crunching tackle. It looks as if Sunderland are going to break away on a quick counter attack but, much to Sunderland's relief, the ball ends up running out of play for a throw in.
7'
Begovic blasts the ball up the pitch and Crouch meets it with his head midway inside the Sunderland half of the pitch. He guides his header into the path of N'Zonzi, who is completely unmarked in the middle, and the Frenchman pushes forward before firing a tame shot straight at Mannone from 25 yards out.
4'
C. Wickham has scored a goal for Sunderland! Assist by S. Fletcher.
The corner is sent towards Buckley on the edge of the penalty, who sidesteps before unleashing a powerful shot that takes a deflection and flies out for another corner.
GOAL! What a start for Sunderland! Stoke fall asleep and Fletcher is able to weave his way past Muniesa and Wilson before chipping the ball over to Wickham, who heads the ball into the back of the net from close range.
3'
Buckley twists and turns around Muniesa just outside of the Stoke penalty area before being brought crashing to the ground by the Spaniard. The referee, Neil Swarbrick, waves play on and Larsson charges forward before earning the hosts a corner.
1'
And we're off! Stoke get us underway, kicking from right to left.
Good afternoon and welcome to our live text commentary of today's Premier League clash between Sunderland and Stoke City. My name is Ben Cullimore and I will be keeping you up to date with all of the action from the Stadium of Light.
Today's hosts are one of only three sides yet to pick up a win this season, and whilst Gus Poyet will no doubt be pleased that his side have been beaten just once in their opening six games - a record that they share with both second-place Southampton and third-place Manchester City - he will be well aware that they desperately need to claim all three points today ahead of tough back-to-back clashes against Southampton and Arsenal after the international break.
It won't be easy, however, as Stoke have impressed in recent weeks, resulting in 1-0 wins against Newcastle United and, most notably, Manchester City. Eight points collected from six games has left left them in 11th place, equal on points with the likes of Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur and with at least one goal scored in each of their three away games this campaign.
There's just over 15 minutes left to go until kick-off, so let's have a look at how the two teams will be lining up this afternoon...
Sunderland XI (4-3-3): Mannone; Jones, O'Shea, Vergini, Van Aanholt; Larsson, Cattermole, Gomez; Buckley, Fletcher, Wickham.
Stoke City XI (4-2-3-1): Begovic; Bardsley, Shawcross, Wilson, Muniesa; Whelan, N'Zonzi; Arnautovic, Adam, Moses; Crouch.
Stoke City substitutes: Sorensen, Pieters, Huth, Ireland, Walters, Assaidi, Bojan.
Sunderland boss Poyet has decided to make two changes to the side that held Swansea City to a 0-0 draw last weekend, with Jack Rodwell and Adam Johnson both making way for Jordi Gomez and Steven Fletcher, respectively.
Meanwhile, Mark Hughes has made just one change to the side that started Monday evening's win against Newcastle, with Marko Arnautovic coming in for Mame Biram Diouf, who suffered a nasty hamstring injury midway through the first half in that game.
The two sides are making their way out onto the pitch ahead of the start of the game. The atmosphere insisde the stadium is fantastic, with both sets of fans in fine voice.
HALF TIME: SUNDERLAND 2-1 STOKE CITY
Sunderland have certainly been the better of the two sides so far, and they deservedly lead at half time thanks to two great goals from Fletcher and Wickham. Stoke have been sloppy in defence, with Muniesa in particular struggling down the left flank against the might of Jones and Buckley, and they have found it hard to get their wingers into the game, with both Assaidi and Arnautovic spending the majority of the first period camped inside their own half of the pitch. Adam's goal was superb, however, and they looked far more dangerous in the final few minutes of the half, so this game is certainly far from over.
The two teams are making their way back out onto the pitch ahead of the start of the second half. Neither side have made any changes during the break.
FULL TIME: SUNDERLAND 3-1 STOKE CITY
Sunderland spent the vast majority of the second half defending the one-goal lead that they had established in the first, but they are most certainly deserved winners after putting in a fantastic shift at both ends of the pitch. The attacking pairing of Wickham and Fletcher proved to be a great choice by Poyet, constantly causing the Stoke defence plenty of problems whilst his side's back four remained strong and disciplined from start to finish.
The win is Sunderland's first of the season, and it sets them up wonderfully for two tough games against Southampton and Arsenal after the international break. As for Stoke, they will be bitterly disappointed that they were not able to come away with anything today, and they now go on to play Swansea City in two weeks' time.
My name's Ben Cullimore and it's been an absolute pleasure describing the action to you today. Until next time, goodbye!
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