According to Sky Sports, Darren Bent has been omitted from England’s 23-man World Cup squad. The Sunderland striker started England’s World Cup warm-up match against Japan on Sunday but has not done enough to impress Fabio Capello, the England manager, that he is worthy of a place.

Manchester United ensured the Barclays Premier League title race went down to the final Sunday of the season with victory at Sunderland.

Steve Bruce has said that geographical isolation remains the biggest threat to Sunderland’s ambition of establishing themselves in the upper reaches of the Barclays Premier League, but the manager is hopeful that Darren Bent’s superb debut season on Wearside will help to “smash down the barrier”.

Manchester City are set to sign Marton Fulop on loan from Sunderland on Wednesday morning after their attempt to bring Joe Hart back from Birmingham City failed.

Sunderland are appealing Alan Hutton’s three-match ban following his sending-off against Hull on Saturday.

Hull City's two-year stay in the Barclays Premier League was effectively ended after they were beaten at home by Sunderland thanks to a goal by Darren Bent in the seventh minute.

One indication of the topsy-turvy nature of this most compelling of Premier League title races is that it has yet to produce what has become known in the sport as a Steve Bruce moment.

One indication of the topsy-turvy nature of this most compelling of Premier League title races is that it has yet to produce what has become known in the sport as a Steve Bruce moment.

Sunderland secured Premier League safety for another season with a 2-1 victory over Burnley at The Stadium of Light.

WELL, this could have been a whole lot worse for Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp. As it was, Darren Bent, the striker he discarded so casually in the summer, scored two goals but contrived to miss two penalties as Sunderland almost refused to take the victory in a hugely absorbing rollercoaster of a game.

Steve Bruce has reignited his dispute with Rafael Benítez, accusing the Liverpool manager of showing disrespect to Sunderland over his pursuit of Kenwyne Jones during the January transfer window.

Aston Villa may have lost fewer games than Manchester United or Arsenal, but they missed a big opportunity last night to join the elite in the Champions League when, as Manchester City faltered at home to Everton, they failed to overcome Sunderland. This was a good night, indeed, for Tottenham Hotspur.

Darren Bent smashed through the 20-goal barrier as Sunderland survived a second-half fightback to edge past Birmingham.

Sunderland-born Adam Johnson scored a last-minute goal, his first for the club, to rescue Manchester City from a damaging defeat at struggling Sunderland.

Five minutes had gone in Tuesday’s match against Bolton Wanderers and the raucous section of the Stadium of Light, which Niall Quinn refers to as the “Crazy Corner”, found its voice. Sunderland were 1-0 up, but 14 games - spread over three long months - had elapsed with no sniff of victory and relegation was increasingly difficult to banish from...

It took them 108 days, but Sunderland again experienced the heady sensation of victory in the Barclays Premier League last night.

Steve Bruce is determined to impose his authority on Sunderland’s under-achieving players, with the manager fining Steed Malbranque two weeks’ wages after he was caught in a nightclub close to a match.

Steve Bruce shrugged his shoulders and blew out his cheeks. It is now 14 games and 100 days since Sunderland last experienced victory in the Barclays Premier League and Bruce’s air of punch-drunk resignation was evident.

FOR all their travails when playing the teams they must measure themselves against, Arsenal’s ability to pick off the also-rans means they have not lost to anyone other than Chelsea and Manchester United since they stumbled at Sunderland in November. With the scores level at 90 minutes, they still took three points from Stoke, firstly when Robert Huth foolishly handled...

Steve Bruce, the Sunderland manager, has been fined £2, 500 for an outburst at the referee after his side's 4-3 defeat by Manchester City in December.

FUNNY game football, as they say. This indeed was a somewhat strange one. It took a largely dominant Arsenal until stoppage time to score their belated second goal and then it came from a penalty rashly given away by an attacker rather than a defender. Meanwhile, Sunderland’s manager Steve Bruce lamented: "We feel as if the world’s against us at...

Darren Bent has warned Sunderland they need to strengthen defensively to end a miserable run of form.

THIS almost felt like a stay of execution for beleaguered Sunderland manager Steve Bruce. Up against his former team, his side struggled woefully for at least an hour before eventually rising from their slumber to gain an unlikely share of the points.

Benjani Mwaruwari's loan move from Manchester City to Sunderland has been given the go-ahead by the Premier League.

The transfer window may have closed, but a trap door is now in danger of swinging open beneath Sunderland. After the first of two consecutive home matches that Steve Bruce predicted would be a “defining” period, his side remain bereft of confidence.

Roberto Martínez is considering reporting Sunderland to the Premier League after accusing the Wearside club of unsettling Maynor Figueroa.

The Premier League’s era of austerity may have made this transfer window one of the least active on record but it has not curtailed the willingness of Steve Bruce to shell out a small fortune on a defender.

Steve Bruce has accused Liverpool of being "disrespectful" in their pursuit of Kenwyne Jones.

Chelsea consolidated their position at the top of the Barclays Premier League with a comfortable victory over Sunderland.

Steve Bruce, the Sunderland manager, has cast doubt on whether Birmingham City or Stoke City could afford to buy Kenwyne Jones this month, but has admitted that the Trinidad and Tobago striker is testing his managerial prowess.

After being frustrated in his bid to sign Kevin Kurányi from Schalke, Steve Bruce has said that Kenwyne Jones would not be leaving Sunderland.

Alex McLeish is refusing to risk Birmingham City’s financial future but is willing to make Kenwyne Jones the club’s highest earner if he can lure him from Sunderland.

Steve Bruce, the Sunderland manager, has been charged with improper conduct over comments made about referee Andre Marriner.

Even though this was only a third positive away result of the season for Sunderland, who had nine players missing, it was not a match that will live long in Steve Bruce’s memory.