Chris Rigg's opener ensured Sunderland continued their record of scoring in every Championship game so far this season
Romaine Mundle's superb second-half strike secured victory for Sunderland at Luton Town and maintained the Black Cats' position at the top of the Championship.
Sunderland scored first against the run of play early in the second half, Chris Rigg capitalising on Tahith Chong's loose touch just outside Luton's penalty area and wriggling free inside the box before shooting low past goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski.
The visitors' lead was short-lived as Luton captain Carlton Morris - who had earlier had a goal ruled out for offside - diverted Alfie Doughty's free-kick into the path of Elijah Adebayo, who nodded home from close range to equalise.
But Mundle quickly restored Sunderland's advantage, cutting in from the left touchline and firing into the far corner from the edge of the box.
Luton twice appealed in vain for penalty kicks in the closing seconds as they chased an equaliser and there was a confrontation between the two sets of players after the full-time whistle blew.
The win at Kenilworth Road was Sunderland's eighth in their opening 11 league fixtures of the campaign and, with Burnley failing to win on Wednesday, Regis Le Bris' side have a three-point lead at the summit.
Although on the wrong end of a result that leaves them two points above the relegation zone, the Hatters put in a hugely creditable display against the leaders.
The most notable moment of a goalless first half came in stoppage time, when Morris felt aggrieved to see his effort disallowed.
Daiki Hashioka flicked on a left-wing corner at the near post towards Morris, who was at least a yard onside before advancing to finish first-time past Anthony Patterson.
Jordan Clark, standing more centrally on the edge of the six-yard box, was in an offside position from Hashioka's header but did not touch the ball on its route to goal.
Earlier, visiting goalkeeper Patterson had acrobatically pushed away a Mark McGuinness header from a corner and he was at full stretch once more to tip Adebayo's header over the crossbar.
Rigg's opener kept up Sunderland's record of having scored in all of their Championship fixtures so far this season, while Luton's Adebayo netted for the first time in the 2024-25 season, having netted 10 goals in the Premier League last term.
The Hatters had chances to equalise for a second time after what proved to be Sunderland's winner from Mundle, but Doughty shot straight at Patterson when in space inside the area and Tom Holmes blasted over when a loose ball fell to him at a corner.
Late on, Clark felt he had been fouled by Trai Hume in the area and the hosts claimed Aaron Connolly had handled inside the box - but both appeals were turned away.
'The two moments of quality they had, they punished us'
Luton manager Rob Edwards told BBC Three Counties Radio:
"I've just watched back Carlton's offside goal and I'm not sure - I know they've got to make snap judgements and we haven't got VAR, but Bernardo Silva's at the weekend [for Manchester City against Wolves] wasn't [deemed to be offside] and I don't think [Jordan Clark] is affecting the play at all, and Carlton is certainly not offside.
"The first goal is so important, the first goal came against the run of play, we fought back but the two moments of quality they had, they punished us.
"We had 20 shots but only four on target. We've had so much pressure but that final bit was lacking and here we are, we've lost the game."
Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris told BBC Radio Newcastle:
"We played an opponent that played very well with direct play and counter-pressing after the first contact.
"It's very difficult against this kind of team to play under pressure and to escape the press. But in that kind of scenario, we know they are on the edge so if they make a mistake, we would have a huge space.
"We had two opportunities early in the game, we didn't score, but we felt it was possible. We changed two or three details to adjust our pressing, and when we had the opportunities to score, we did it."
[On being three points clear at the top] "I don't care about the table at the moment, the season is so long. I'm just focused on the improvement of the team."
