Sam Allardyce says he is hearing “far too much talk about Duncan Watmore” at the moment but much more of this and the Sunderland’s manager only option will be to invest in earplugs.

From the moment he stepped off the bench to replace a hamstrung Jermain Defoe, the England Under-21 forward cum Wearside supersub illuminated a previously monochrome game while disconcerting a hitherto comfortable Stoke City.


It was a foul on Watmore which led to Ryan Shawcross’s dismissal early in the second half and the same bundle of attacking energy deservedly scored Sunderland’s excellent second goal after Patrick van Aanholt’s free kick had broken the impasse.