Three things we learnt from Stoke City’s 3-1 victory over Sunderland

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Sorry Sunderland. Super Stoke.

Four words that pretty much summed up Saturday’s fixture at the Stadium of Light.

Stoke City were superb throughout the contest, particularly during the first half where they scored three goals in 19 minutes, whilst Sunderland produced a defensive horror show and lacked any real cutting edge in the final third.

The visitors opened the scoring in the fifteenth minute through Marko Arnautovic and the Austrian international doubled his tally just seven minutes later, ending a thirteen game personal draught in front of goal. When Peter Crouch, unsurprisingly, rose above Vito Mannone to convert Charlie Adam’s cross the game was all but over as a contest. Jermain Defoe did pull one back for The Black Cats with a composed finish before half-time but it would prove to be the sole moment of enjoyment for the frustrated home supporters.

A defeat leaves Sunderland in the relegation zone whilst The Potters have now risen into the top-half of the table.

Stoke stun Sunderland

Mark Hughes has come under increasing pressure over the Christmas period from some sections of the Stoke City support after a poor run of results but his team provided the perfect response to any criticism at the Stadium of Light.

The Potters were quite simply unplayable in the opening forty minutes, producing a performance overflowing with quality, energy and clinical finishing. A three goal lead was the very least that they deserved and the hosts were in danger of being blown away by a team that were undoubtedly still reeling from the aftermath of their FA Cup exit to Wolverhampton Wanderers last weekend.

Marko Arnautovic and Xherdan Shaqiri provided creativity and innovation in the final third, linking up wonderfully with Peter Crouch, whilst the midfield trio of Charlie Adam, Glen Whelan and Joe Allen provided a solid base on which the first-half performance was built. A three goal lead certainly did not flatter the visitors and Arnautovic’s second goal, putting the final touch on a wonderfully constructed passing move, encapsulated the change in playing style that Mark Hughes has overseen in North Staffordshire.

The result was never really in doubt, even after Jermain Defoe had pulled a goal back for the home side, and you never really felt that Stoke were ever in any real danger of capitulating or, for that matter, conceding another goal.

Mark Hughes will have been delighted with his team’s performance and rightly so.