Jermain Defoe scored his 150th Premier League goal as Sunderland comfortably beat Hull City to secure consecutive top-flight wins for the first time since May.
Defoe’s darting run and firm low finish made him just the eighth player in Premier League history to bring up the milestone, in a first half that otherwise was a positive one for the visitors.
The in-form Victor Anichebe scored twice after the break for David Moyes’ rejuvenated side, who remain inside the bottom three but are at least off the foot of the standings, replaced by Swansea.
Hull had their chances and looked good going forward, but in Jordan Pickford they found an impressive young goalkeeper in no mood to be beaten.
Papy Djilobodji’s late red card for a second caution took some of the gloss off for Sunderland.
Evergreen Defoe shows his class
It was fitting that Defoe brought up his personal milestone with a trademark strike, latching on to Duncan Watmore’s flick-on, running at and beating Curtis Davies and ghosting past Ahmed Elmohamady before tucking the ball home with a short-backlift shot that has been his bread and butter at this level for a decade and a half.
The goal elevates the 34-year-old into an elite group of Premier League frontmen, comprising Alan Shearer, Wayne Rooney, Andy Cole, Frank Lampard, Thierry Henry, Robbie Fowler and Michael Owen.
Having also scored in the battling 2-1 win over Bournemouth before the international break, Defoe’s importance to Sunderland’s Premier League hopes cannot be overstated.
And in Anichebe it would seem Defoe has the perfect foil up front.
The burly forward linked well with his diminutive partner throughout and took both of his goals superbly, first finishing low past David Marshall after good work by Patrick van Aanholt and then killing the game off late on with a thunderous effort off the post.
