LONDON, Sept 25: Sunderland ended their long wait for a Premier League victory with a surprise 2-0 win at Middlesbrough in a passionate northeast derby on Sunday. Tommy Miller fired them into a second minute lead at the Riverside and they weathered the storm to add a killer second goal when Argentine midfielder Julio Arca curled home a superb free kick on the hour mark.

Sunderland, who have spent the past two seasons in the second tier of English football, last won a League game in Dec 2002.

They had suffered a record 20 consecutive top-flight defeats before a 1-1 draw with West Bromwich Albion in their last league game, denied victory only by a stoppage-time equaliser.

Saturday’s action had been dominated by the top clubs, with Chelsea making a record start.

The champions clocked up their seventh consecutive win, coming from behind to beat Aston Villa 2-1.

Manchester United were stunned by a 2-1 home defeat to Blackburn Rovers and are 10 points behind Chelsea while Arsenal are 11 points adrift after drawing 0-0 at West Ham.

Arsenal, like United, have a game in hand on the champions — as do second-placed Charlton Athletic on 15 points after their 2-1 win at West Brom.

At the wrong end of the table, Sunderland’s win has handed bottom place to Everton after Saturday’s sixth consecutive.

Premier League action continues on Monday with a London derby between Tottenham Hotspur and Fulham at White Hart Lane.

Premiership results:

Played on Sunday:

Middlesbrough 0 Sunderland 2

Played on Saturday:

Birmingham City 2 Liverpool 2

Bolton Wanderers 1 Portsmouth 0

Chelsea 2 Aston Villa 1

Everton 0 Wigan Athletic 1

Manchester United 1 Blackburn Rovers 2

Newcastle United 1 Manchester City 0

West Bromwich Albion 1 Charlton Athletic 2

West Ham United 0 Arsenal 0

—Reuters