Sunderland marked their return to the Premier League in style with a 3-0 win over West Ham at the Stadium of Light.
Following an eight-year absence from the top flight, the Black Cats withstood some promising attacks spearheaded by Hammers captain Jarrod Bowen in the first half and after the break it was their Championship play-off heroes who proved to be the difference.
They went ahead through Eliezer Mayenda’s header and Dan Ballard soon extended the advantage, nodding home into the same spot as his last-gasp winner against Coventry in the play-off semi-finals.
Substitute Wilson Isidor struck in added time to wrap up three points in Sunderland’s first Premier League appearance since May 2017.
Sunderland have made 11 signings so far this window and seven of those new arrivals were handed their first starts, with Trai Hume, Ballard and Mayenda the sole survivors from the starting XI who beat Sheffield United in the Championship play-off final.
There were two new signings making their West Ham debuts as El Hadji Malick Diouf and goalkeeper Mads Hermansen both started and new signing Callum Wilson made the bench.
Bowen threatened in the early stages, weaving through the home defence and forced a low stop from Robin Roefs at his near post before Hermansen denied Habib Diarra at the other end.
The visitors began to grow in confidence, with Bowen causing particular problems and the Hammers skipper was at the heart of a brilliant chance, beginning a move which saw Diouf blast a first-time effort on goal, but Ballard made a superb block.
As half-time approached, Sunderland won a series of corners, where Hermansen made a comfortable collection from Ballard’s header.
The hosts had an early opportunity in the second half when Mayenda managed to keep the ball in and cut a pass back into Simon Adingra, but he sliced his effort wide.
Regis Le Bris made an enforced change as Jenson Seelt was taken off with an injury while challenging for the ball and Omar Alderete – who joined the club on Tuesday – came on for his debut.
Diarra continued to impress for the hosts, winning a corner following a good break down the right before blasting an effort over the bar.
Mayenda then found the breakthrough for Sunderland in the 61st minute when Alderete fired a looping cross into the box and the striker jumped high to nod into the bottom corner.
West Ham made a double substitution as Tomas Soucek and former Newcastle striker Wilson were introduced, but the hosts extended their lead in the 73rd minute.
Adingra picked out Ballard on the left side of the box and the centre-half fired a header into the bottom corner.
The Hammers looked to strike in the final stages, but Bowen’s flicked header from a corner was blocked and Soucek’s tame effort was held by Roefs.
The Sunderland goalkeeper made a great stop to tip Wilson’s deflected header from a free-kick over the bar in the 88th minute.
Isidor then capped off an impressive afternoon for Sunderland two minutes into added time after cutting in from the left and rolling a cool finish into the corner.
