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Brian Brobby came off the bench to snatch victory for Sunderland as they came back from two goals down to beat Bournemouth 3–2.
Amine Edly’s opener and a superb long-range strike from Tyler Adams had given Andoni Irola’s men a dream start on a chilly afternoon at the Stadium of Light.
However, Enzo Le Fee’s penalty and an equally vigorous Bertrand Traore either side of half-time set the stage for Brobby – who had denied Arsenal victory on Wearside with a late equalizer in his side’s last home game – to win it.
The visitors came under pressure with danger man Antoine Semenyo back after recovering from illness, with defender Bafode Diakite forced to block Chemsedne Talby’s weak shot in the fourth minute.
However, the Cherries took the lead after just seven minutes. Full-back Nordy Mukiele slipped through to Semenyo and he crossed for Ivanilsson to shoot from point-blank range. Goalkeeper Robin Roefs turned the ball towards the post but Edley followed up and scored.
The Cherries doubled their advantage in spectacular fashion when, after Sunderland’s short corner was thwarted, Talby hit the ball into the path of Adams and he advanced to the halfway edge of the center circle before firing the ball over the back-pedaling Roughs from 45 yards.
Bournemouth keeper Djordje Petrovic had to beat out Wilson Isidore’s 23rd-minute strike as the Black Cats fought valiantly to get back into the game.
They got it when Alex Scott’s clumsy challenge on Reinaldo Mandava was confirmed as a penalty by VAR, with Le Fee confidently sending his spot-kick to reduce the deficit on the half-hour mark.
The Scot fired over from one end and Reinaldo headed wide, before Le Fee fired a shot into the side-netting in the seventh minute of stoppage time, as a frantic first half ended with the Cherries still ahead.
Sunderland were level within a minute of the restart when Granit Xhaka’s reverse pass found Traore inside the box and he fired past the legs of defender Adrian Traffert and past Petrovic.
The visitors thought they had restored their lead two minutes later when Semenyo’s cross was met by Omar Alderete and looked to be heading inside the far post until Ivanilsson made sure to head home, but from an offside position.
Sunderland could have been ahead on 64 minutes after Le Fee gave Brobby his first touch, but he scuffed his shot straight at Petrovic.
But the Netherlands striker improved with 21 minutes remaining when he put his side ahead for the first time with a strong downward header at Le Fea’s left wing corner.
Bournemouth substitute Enes Unai curled a free-kick wide in the 83rd minute and Marcus Tavernier crashed the crossbar from distance two minutes later, but their afternoon ended in embarrassment when Lewis Cook was sent off for an elbow on Noah Sadiq in added time.