Burnley got their Premier League campaign off to a comfortable start with a 2-0 win over Sunderland at Turf Moor.
Second-half strikes from Josh Cullen and Jadon Anthony gave the Grapevines their first points in the top flight, strengthening their position in the competition with the league's other newcomers.
Cullen opened the scoring just 98 seconds after the restart, and Anthony put the finishing touches on the match five minutes before the final whistle.
Last year the gap between these clubs in the Championship was 24 points, but today the rivalry looks more equal, which makes the current victory especially valuable.
Manager Scott Parker celebrated his first Premier League success in three years, and the team's early entry into the top 10 has raised hopes of maintaining their place in the elite after recent promotion.
After an emotional return to league action against West Ham, Sunderland were faced with reality after missing out on another chance to surprise as several promising early chances went unfulfilled.
In the 4th minute, Reinildo Mandava could have put them ahead, but his header from Dan Ballard went straight into the hands of Martin Dubravka.
Another dangerous moment was created by Chemsdin Talbi, who received a pass from Simon Adingra, but the ball flew past the target.
Lyle Foster looked to have found the net in the 19th minute but referee Michael Salisbury ruled the goal out for a foul on Jenson Sylt.
Despite the visitors' activity waning towards the end of the first half, Burnley took advantage of the moment immediately after the break: Anthony made an assist and Cullen fired a spectacular shot from 16 meters into the bottom corner.
After the goal, the stadium lit up with flashes of jubilation, but soon the chaotic flashing of floodlights stopped the game for four minutes.
Sunderland stepped up their attacks but were unable to create a real threat to their opponents' goal.
In the 88th minute, Anthony gave the final verdict on the match: having received an accurate pass from Cullen, he beat goalkeeper Robin Roofs and rolled the ball into an empty net.
Lum Chauna almost scored a third when he hit the crossbar late on, but two strikes were enough to secure Burnley's win.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
