Sunderland 3-2 Bournemouth: Comeback victory pushes Black Cats into top four

Sunderland produced one of the most spirited performances of the Premier League season as they came from two goals down to beat Bournemouth 3-2 and climb to fourth in the table.

The result extended their remarkable run of form under Regis Le Bris and reinforced the growing belief around the Stadium of Light that this promoted side have become one of the division’s toughest and most resilient teams.

The evening began with Bournemouth looking ready to overwhelm them and the visitors struck first when Antoine Semenyo’s sharp low cross created a chance that ended with Amine Adli firing in the rebound.

Tyler Adams then stunned the home crowd with a spectacular lob from inside the centre circle that sailed over Robin Roefs to double Bournemouth’s lead and reward a dominant first spell.

Sunderland refused to fold and their response began when Alex Scott clipped Reinildo in the box, allowing Enzo Le Fee to convert a calm penalty into the top corner.

The goal settled Sunderland’s rhythm and the pressure they built late in the first half carried directly into the restart, where they levelled almost immediately.

Bertrand Traore collected a clever reverse pass from Granit Xhaka and drove a low finish inside Djordje Petrovic’s near post to swing momentum fully in Sunderland’s favour.

Bournemouth briefly thought they had restored their lead when Evanilson tapped in a loose ball from another Semenyo burst down the flank but the assistant’s flag ruled that he had moved too early.

That reprieve proved critical because Sunderland completed their turnaround minutes later through substitute Brian Brobbey, who met Le Fee’s corner with a powerful header that Petrovic could not keep out.

The goal crowned a bold second-half display built on aggressive pressing and controlled possession, with Sunderland managing the final stages with maturity that has become a defining part of their season.

Bournemouth pushed for an equaliser and came close when Marcus Tavernier rattled the crossbar from distance but their frustration intensified when Lewis Cook was sent off in stoppage time for elbowing Noah Sadiki.

Sunderland closed the game out without further danger and the final whistle was met with a roar that reflected both the scale of the comeback and the significance of the win.

The victory maintained their unbeaten home record and extended a run that now places them firmly inside the top four, an outcome few could have predicted when the campaign began.