Alex Neil had the last laugh on his return to Wearside as his Stoke City side humiliated Sunderland 5-1 at the Stadium of Light.
Neil left Sunderland at the end of August to take the reins at Stoke, just days after overseeing the Black Cats' 1-0 win at the bet365 Stadium, and he was greeted with boos on his return to the club he steered out of League One last season.
But Neil was all smiles at full-time after watching his team dismantle Sunderland in a second half that saw many home fans head for the exits long before the whistle went. Josh Laurent gave Stoke the lead in controversial circumstances five minutes before half-time, and the visitors stretched their lead as Tyrese Campbell scored two goals in five minutes before the hour to make it 3-0.
