Comfortable for Stoke. Uncomfortable for Sunderland.

Kevin Kilbane
Former Everton and Sunderland winger on Final Score

Oh Joe Allen - what a signing he has been. Although Stoke haven't been playing particularly well, today he has been right at it, he has got himself in goalscoring positions, and taken them really well. 

Julian Hudson in Norwich: A message to the Sunderland board: Do you know Big Sam is out of work? I hear he works wonders with clubs in relegation trouble.  

There are about 30 seconds remaining...

Scottish midfielder Charlie Adam, who's scored one or two spectacular goals in his time, rattles Jordan Pickford's crossbar with a fierce 18-yard strike. Very fierce.

You'd expect Stoke to increase the numbers in defence, but no, they continue to charge forward.

Sunderland appear devoid of attacking ideas.

Victor Anichebe finally comes on, for Jack Rodwell.

It's a free-kick to Sunderland - 20 yards out.

Wahbi Khazri steps over it... he curls the ball over the wall...it's goalbound... but keeper Lee Grant plucks his effort out of the air.

I think that's the first time I've mentioned Lee Grant.

Hamstring injury? What hamstring injury?

Two-goal hero Joe Allen comes off, after a great display, to be replaced by Marc Muniesa.

Jon Walters is on for Wilfried Bony. Sunderland's Victor Anichebe is not on, yet.

Wahbi Khazri - probably Sunderland's best player today - smacks a shot from 20 yards that drifts about two yards wide. It was a tired effort.

Striker Victor Anichebe is about to come on for the Black Cats. Yup.

Image source, PA

Charlie Adam, who's been on for about three minutes, dances past a couple of half-hearted Sunderland attempted blocks before striking a shot that loops in front of team-mate Marko Arnautrovic who deflects the ball in.

The Austrian was ruled offside - he was about a yard off.

Phil:  Please let the season end now. Please let us go down, Sunderland has a terminal illness. Abject, overpaid, irresponsible players and officials. Hold your heads in shame.

Yes, yes, yes, yes... noooooo!

Oh Duncan Watmore! The young Sunderland man powers forward, twists and turns but then fires wildly over the bar from 20 yards. Poor, to be fair.

Stoke's blonde mohawked midfielder Marko Arnautovic plays a delightful through-ball for Xherdan Shaqiri, who sneaks around the back of the defence but sees his effort at the near post blocked by Papy Djilobodji. 

Good defending by the impressive Sunderland player.

Harry Cross: If Joe Allen scores a hat-trick I promise to grow my hair like his.

Kaushik Gorai: Joe Allen for only £13m. ONLY mistake Klopp made until now. Easily worth £25m or even more.  

Sunderland boss David Moyes brings off Paddy McNair and replaces him with Steven Pienaar.

Moyes needs a miracle here.

Image source, PA

Stoke nearly make it three.

Wilfried Bony's 18-yard shot is saved by Jordan Pickford and then Joe Allen's follow-up is blocked.

Moments later, Bony fires a 20-yard effort two yards wide.

It's going to be three soon, isn't it?

Image source, Reuters

Marko Arnautovic - who remains composed despite bloodying the nose of a supporter with a shot in the warm-up - dances past a couple of Sunderland defenders on the left of the area, but his cross goes out for a corner.

The visitors clear from the resulting set-piece.

But it's all Stoke again. 

Thoughts?

I'll expand. He seems to have a great engine but does he have a good final product?

On a couple of occasions in the first half he drove down the wing but then failed with his final ball. Striker Jermain Defoe found himself a little isolated in attack on his own, so Watmore will have to step up his game.

Image source, Getty Images

We are back under way. Any chance of a Sunderland revival? No? OK then.