Sunderland 0-2 Swansea City
Attendance: 38,781
Sunderland’s final home outing of the 2016-17 campaign ended in disappointment as Swansea City coasted to a 2-0 win – and the brink of survival – at the Stadium of Light.
Former Atletico Bilbao and Juventus striker Fernando Llorente opened the scoring early on, with 31-year-old powering a header beyond Jordan Pickford following a trademark free-kick from Gylfi Sigurdsson.
The Icelander continued to run the show as Sunderland stuttered on the front foot and lost Jason Denayer and Darron Gibson to injury, as their fate was confirmed before half-time.
Kyle Naughton was the scorer as a marauding run from right-back ended in a fine finish, with Paul Clement’s side seeing out a massive win in the race for survival.
Over 3,000 Swansea fans made the long trip north and they came together with their Wearside counterparts ahead of kick-off, as Jermain Defoe and Bradley Lowery led out the teams.
And as the five-minute mark ticked over the fans once again came together, with a chorus of ‘one Bradley Lowery’ ringing around the Stadium of Light as a banner of the inspirational youngster fluttered across the south stand.
The touching moment was almost met with a goal as Didier Ndong fired wide following powerful build-up play from Victor Anichebe, but two minutes later Swansea took the lead.
Sigurdsson’s set-piece wizardry needs no introduction and with eight minutes on the clock he sent a laser-guided free-kick into the Llorente’s vicinity, as the duo combined to devastating effect.
But Sunderland could and possibly should have prevented it, with the World Cup winner sending a bullet header into an empty net after Pickford came and failed to collect.
We are staying up, beamed the travelling support.
Jason Denayer was clattered by Pickford as Llorente beat the duo – and John O’Sea – to Sigurdsson’s free-kick, and he was replaced ten minutes later after failing to shake it off as Gibson entered the fray.
Anichebe also picked up a knock and was notably rocked by it soon after, but following treatment he continued, albeit briefly, before limping down the tunnel before the break.
Wahbi Khazri was the striker’s replacement but it was a Seb Larsson delivery which almost crafted a response seconds before the Tunisian’s introduction, as Defoe was denied at the back post by Lukasz Fabianski.
But with seconds remaining before the interval it was game over, with Naughton rifling the ball through the legs of Javier Manquillo and into the top corner after the defender failed to stick or twist.
Swansea opted to consolidate their lead in the second period and they were happy to let Sunderland have the ball, with the Black Cats struggling to create anything in the final third.
Penalty appeals fell on deaf ears before the hour mark as Larsson’s free-kick clearly struck the hand of Sigurdsson, with Borni and Khazri failing to hit the target soon after.
But the best chance of all fell to Billy Jones, who failed to hit the target from five yards after Fabianski parried Khazri’s free-kick into the defender’s path.
The Black Cats continued to muster forays into opposition territory but, in truth, Clement’s side were scarcely troubled as they took a huge step towards safety.
Sunderland: Pickford, Jones, Kone, O’Shea, Manquillo, Denayer (Gibson 20), Larsson, Ndong, Borini, Anichebe (Khazri 37), Defoe.
Subs not used: Mannone, Oviedo, Djilobodji, Rodwell, Gooch.
Swansea City: Fabianski, Mawson, Fernandez, Naughton, Olsson, Carroll, Ki (Fer 66), Sigurdsson, Llorente, Ayew, Britton (Cork 78).
Subs not used: Nordfeldt, Van Der Hoorn, Borja, Narsingh, Kingsley.