Cullen and Anthony combine to lift Burnley past Sunderland in a newcomers’ duel

Josh Cullen and Jaidon Anthony struck at either end of the second half as Burnley beat fellow promoted side Sunderland 2-0 at Turf Moor. Moments after the restart, Anthony’s deft touch teed up his captain to curl low into the far corner, and with two minutes remaining the roles reversed as Cullen released Anthony to sprint clear, round Robin Roefs and seal the points.

The scoreline arrived at the end of a contest that ebbed on fine margins. Burnley carried more of the territory before the break but Sunderland produced the clearer opportunities, only for Martin Dubravka’s early save and wayward finishing to keep the game goalless. A disallowed Lyle Foster strike and a brief floodlight interruption added to the drama before the Clarets found the composure that mattered.

Margins that mattered: an early let-off and a chalked-off strike

Sunderland’s best moment came almost immediately when Dan Ballard headed back across goal for Eliezer Mayenda, whose close-range effort was pushed away by Dubravka. Chemsdine Talbi then clipped wide as Régis Le Bris’ side carved out the first half’s clearest sights of goal, only for their momentum to be checked when Ballard was forced off injured inside the opening 10 minutes.

Burnley thought they had found a breakthrough when Foster pounced on a defensive mix-up to finish smartly, but referee Michael Salisbury had already whistled for a foul by the striker on Jenson Seelt. The on-field decision stood after a VAR review, preserving parity at the interval. The home side’s best moment of the half arrived when Anthony headed wide from a Hannibal Mejbri cross.

Cullen’s touch flips the tone after the interval

Two minutes into the second period, Burnley located the accuracy that eluded them before the break. Anthony’s clever flick at the edge of the box found Cullen in stride, and the new captain curled a controlled finish into the far corner to settle Turf Moor’s nerves and tilt the contest decisively the hosts’ way.

With the lead secured, Burnley looked the likelier to add a second, only for a floodlight issue to interrupt play and check their momentum. Even so, Scott Parker’s side maintained their energy and discipline, pressing the ball and limiting Sunderland to speculative moments rather than genuine chances.

Sunderland’s search for a response fades against a composed block

Le Bris felt a small mistake at the start of the second half turned the game and, from there, Sunderland struggled to recreate the incision that saw them beat West Ham on opening day. For all their late possession, they did not muster another shot from inside the area until the closing stages and created no clear opportunity to equalise.

Burnley, by contrast, were primed for the counter. As Sunderland committed bodies forward near the end, Cullen split the defence with a precise pass, Anthony rounded Roefs and finished to confirm a deserved home win.

What it means for two promoted clubs

After a 3-0 defeat at Tottenham, Burnley are off the mark and, crucially, with a home victory. Parker has stressed the need to make the supporters believe and to lean on Turf Moor as a foundation; this was a step toward that aim.

For Sunderland, who returned to the top flight after eight years away and opened with an eye-catching win, this was a reminder of Premier League ruthlessness. The visitors were organised and competitive but punished for missed chances and one lapse, with lessons to carry into their meeting with Brentford.