SUNDERLAND FANS WERE left dejected as two goals from Marko Arnautovic and a Peter Crouch strike helped Stoke City overcome the Black Cats and climb into the top-half of the Premier League.
The Austrian attacker netted twice in the first 22 minutes before Crouch extended the Potters’ lead shortly after.
Jermain Defoe grabbed a consolation with his 12th goal of the season, but David Moyes’ side could not mount a comeback.
Elsewhere, Marco Silva won his first Premier League game in charge of Hull City as they fought back to beat Bournemouth 3-1 at the KCOM Stadium.
Junior Stanislas put Bournemouth in front from the penalty spot after Harry Maguire brought down Ryan Fraser.
However, Hull soon turned things around as Abel Hernandez bagged a double, before Tyrone Mings converted the ball into his own net.
Watford failed to make their chances count as they were held to a scoreless draw by Middlesbrough.
The Hornets had the majority of the opportunities at Vicarage Road, but did not give their fans much to cheer for as they failed to find a way past Victor Valdes.
Meanwhile, Joey Barton helped Burnley move into the top-half of the Premier League table with a narrow 1-0 victory over Southampton.
Clear-cut opportunities were few and far between in a largely forgettable Premier League encounter.
Barton was to prove the difference however, as his 25-yard free-kick – just six minutes after stepping off the bench – took a deflection on its way to finding the back of the net.
Andy Carroll’s stunning scissor-kick helped West Ham to a 3-0 victory over Crystal Palace in the absence of wantaway star Dimitri Payet at London Stadium.
After a poor first half in which the Hammers had badly missed Payet – whose intention to leave the club has been revealed by manager Slaven Bilic - Sofiane Feghouli netted his first Premier League goal, Carroll added a superb second and Manuel Lanzini completed the scoring to end a three-match losing run.
It was a huge moment for Feghouli, snubbed by Algeria for the Africa Cup of Nations, but Carroll was the star in a marvellous second-half performance that reached a crescendo with a strike of supreme quality.
Thrashing high into the net to leave Wayne Hennessey with no chance, the England international banished memories of West Ham’s earlier struggles as they waited half an hour for a first opportunity.
Lanzini’s neat finish added a gloss to the scoreline, and this result leaves former Hammers manager Sam Allardyce still chasing his first win as Palace boss.
Note: A previous copy of this article was amended as it stated that Marko Arnautovic was Swiss.
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