Going into their respective final games of last season, Sunderland still had work to do to secure a League One play-off place and Burnley still had a chance of Premier League survival. They were separated by two divisions and, had events played out differently, they might still have been separated by two divisions today.
Instead, Sunderland secured promotion via the play-offs and Burnley were relegated from the top flight, and the two sides now inhabit the Championship. That is where the similarities end, however, with a huge gulf standing between the sides in terms of financial resources, player quality, squad depth, and expectations for the current season.
But, for 45 minutes on Saturday, Sunderland bridged that yawning chasm through sheer force of will. They literally played Burnley off the park in the first half at the Stadium of Light, denying the visitors so much as a single shot on target.
