Habib Diarra hit the ground running on his Sunderland return, starring in his side's 3-0 win over 19th-placed Burnley, as the Clarets' winless run stretches to 15 games.
Diarra, who made his first Premier League start since September following a lengthy injury, thought he had scored his side's opener in the ninth minute, only for it to go down as an Axel Tuanzebe own goal.
However, the 22-year-old midfielder eventually managed a goal of his own with a powerful effort later in the first half that proved too much for Martin Dubravka, who got a hand to the ball.
Chemsdine Talbi's scorcher from range in the second half just compounded the gulf between the two newly-promoted sides.
A lacklustre Burnley performance saw the side muster 0.06 xG, one of the lowest returns from a Premier League team this season. Meanwhile, Sunderland's impressive, unbeaten run at home in the top flight this season stretches to 12 games.
On a positive night for the Black Cats, who moved up to eighth, Sunderland also announced a ÂŁ17.5m Deadline Day deal to sign Nilson Angulo from Anderlecht. The 22-year-old replaces Simon Adingra, who departed for AS Monaco on Monday.
In need of a spark of their own from a new recruit, James Ward-Prowse, on loan from West Ham, was denied his debut as he was an unused substitute.
Burnley, who finished above play-off winners Sunderland last season, now trail the Black Cats by 21 points as they missed the opportunity to close the gap on 18th-placed West Ham.
Kyle Walker speaking to Your Site about Burnley's performance:
"Terrible.
"We've come here to get something and we've got nothing. For a club that is fighting for survival, putting in that performance is unacceptable.
"There are 22 men on the football pitch and it's whoever wants it more and they wanted it more than us.
"The hunger is there. The lads work hard. Sometimes football matches aren't won by hunger; they're won by using your head.
"When certain situations arise in a game, you're meant to deal with them in an appropriate way for that situation, but we don't seem to do that."
Scott Parker called his Burnley team "childish" and said they "weren't in the game for a second" in their 3-0 defeat to Sunderland.
Parker said: "We were nowhere near it. We fell way short in all the basics of the game. We weren't for a second in this game. Hugely disappointing.
"We've come out of some good results - maybe it's easier to play against those teams in terms of [draws against] Man Utd, Liverpool and Spurs. You know what you need to bring as a player.
"Tonight we haven't done that. We looked like a childish team that never had any intent about us. I didn't see a team with any intent or purpose to make a mark. That hurts me as that's an ingredient you need in this league.
"It's everything I stand for. A 20-year career, five years in management. I try to engrain fight in my teams. I understand that frailty and lack of belief can come out but that can never be the case. If you fall short of that, you have no chance.
"We need to reboot. We are running out of time. Evidence suggests we have fallen short. I can stand here in front of a camera and talk about fine margins, but we sit where we sit for a reason.
"In moments of adversity we have to come back stronger and better."
Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris says Habib Diarra's return feels like a "new signing" for the club after his performance in a 3-0 win over Burnley on Monday night.
Diarra returned from AFCON duty with Senegal and scored in his first start for Sunderland since September.
Asked about the 22-year-old's performance, Le Bris told Your Site: "When you score a goal and you work hard for the squad, I think it's perfect when you come back as a starter with the squad.
"Now we have their energy, their positivity, and it's like a new signing. So it's really important for us, and I hope and will be the case for the next few weeks."
