Sunderland produced one of the most dramatic turnarounds of the Premier League season as they came from two goals down to defeat Bournemouth 3-2 at the Stadium of Light, a result that ignited the home crowd and underlined the belief pulsing through Regis Le Bris’ side.
Bournemouth had looked in total control after a blistering start that saw them race into a 2-0 lead inside the opening 15 minutes. The first goal came after just seven minutes when Antoine Semenyo’s delivery caused confusion in the Sunderland box.
A rebound fell kindly to Amine Adli, who calmly slotted into an empty net after the hosts failed to clear their lines. Sunderland appeared stunned, and the visitors sensed vulnerability.
Only minutes later, Bournemouth delivered what seemed like a knockout blow. A Sunderland short corner fell apart in transition, giving Tyler Adams acres of space to carry the ball forward.
Spotting goalkeeper Robin Roefs off his line, Adams executed an outrageous 45-yard lob that curled spectacularly into the top corner. It was a finish of the highest class, one that silenced the home support and gave Bournemouth a cushion that looked secure.
But Sunderland refused to fold. Rather than collapsing under pressure, the hosts gradually regained composure and began forcing mistakes from their opponents. Their breakthrough came on the half-hour mark when Alex Scott clattered into Reinildo Mandava inside the box.
After a lengthy VAR check, the referee awarded a penalty, and Enzo Le Fée stepped up with confidence. His strike high into the net ignited belief across the Stadium of Light and signalled the beginning of Sunderland’s revival.
With the deficit halved, Sunderland played with sharpened urgency. Bournemouth, previously comfortable, began to unravel.
Sunderland equalised almost immediately after the restart when Granit Xhaka, ever the composed orchestrator in midfield, threaded a brilliant reverse pass through the Bournemouth defence. Bertrand Traoré latched onto it before firing a crisp low finish into the far corner for his first goal since joining the club.
In the space of moments, Sunderland had transformed a looming defeat into a contest once more.
Bournemouth tried to respond and briefly thought they had restored their lead when Evanilson bundled in a cross from close range, but the assistant referee flagged for offside. The decision denied the visitors a crucial foothold at a time when they were struggling to withstand Sunderland’s pressure.
The home side eventually completed their extraordinary turnaround in the 69th minute. A driven corner from Le Fée found substitute Brian Brobbey, who powered a header low into the bottom corner.
The eruption inside the stadium embodied both relief and jubilation. From 0-2 down to 3-2 up, Sunderland had flipped the match on its head with soaring confidence and relentless determination.
Bournemouth’s frustration grew as the clock ticked down. They pushed forward in search of an equaliser, and Marcus Tavernier came agonisingly close when his effort struck the woodwork. But Sunderland defended with discipline and refused to allow the visitors another route back into the game.
As emotions bubbled over in stoppage time, Bournemouth’s Lewis Cook was shown a straight red card for a reckless elbow on Reinildo. By that point, the contest had slipped away from the visitors, and the dismissal only compounded their collapse.
For Sunderland, the victory was more than just three points. It was a declaration of resilience, mentality, and ambition. Le Fée was the conductor on the night-scoring, assisting, and dictating the rhythm of Sunderland’s comeback.
For Bournemouth, it was an evening defined by bitter disappointment. A flying start gave way to mistakes, loss of structure, and an inability to manage momentum once Sunderland turned the tide.