Sunderland came from behind to beat Crystal Palace 2-1 at the Stadium of Light, extending the visitors' winless run to 10 matches in all competitions. Brian Brobbey's sensational strike and a goal from Enzo Le Fée overturned Jean-Philippe Mateta's opener, adding to the gloom surrounding Palace after the departure of Marc Guéhi to Manchester City and Oliver Glasner's announcement that he will leave at the end of the season.
Palace took the lead in the first half when Yeremy Pino capitalised on a weak punch from Sunderland goalkeeper Robin Roefs to lift the ball into the roof of the net. However, Sunderland responded almost immediately, with Le Fée scoring a low first-time shot after a clever pass from Nordi Mukiele. The equaliser came from a trademark passing triangle, with Brobbey stepping aside to allow the ball to run to the Frenchman.
Brobbey then sealed the win with a stunning effort, using the outside of his right foot to lash the ball over Dean Henderson and in off the underside of the crossbar. The goal came after a deflected pass from Noah Sadiki, who had just returned from the Africa Cup of Nations. Sunderland's victory was their first in the Premier League since beating Newcastle United last month, and left them with 33 points, five ahead of Palace.
Glasner expressed frustration with Palace's board, suggesting that he and his players felt “abandoned” after the sale of key players. The Austrian manager also made a pointed decision not to introduce any substitutes from his youthful bench. Palace had competed well in the first half but faded after the interval, creating only a couple of serious chances. Mateta had a goal disallowed for offside before the break.
