Premier League:

Swansea City 3-0 Sunderland

Second half goals from Gylfi Sigurdsson and Fernando Llorente (2) eased the pressure on Swansea City manager Bob Bradley - and moved his side temporarily out of the relegation zone in the process.

After a first half of few clear openings, the influential Sigurdsson made no mistake from the penalty spot early in the second half, before Llorente struck twice to seal the win and send Sunderland back to the bottom of the Premier League.

Bradley made five changes from the side hammered 5-0 at Tottenham last week, with Angel Rangel, Alfie Mawson, Leon Britton, Wayne Routledge and Llorente all coming into the starting XI.

But although the home side enjoyed much of the early possession, the only moment of threat came when Modou Barrow charged into the area but was crowded out.

Llorente did get his head to a Neil Taylor cross, but his effort bounced tamely off target, and it was the visitors who created the first real opening when Victor Anichebe played in strike partner Jermain Defoe, who cut past Alfie Mawson in the area before firing an angled left foot shot over the bar.

Indeed, The Black Cats appeared happy to sit deep and hit on the break and Defoe, who struck a hat trick in the same fixture at the Liberty last year, narrowly failed to get right back Billy Jones’ low cross under control in front of goal.

As the half wore on, Swansea’s main goal threat appeared to come from the set piece ability of Sigurdsson, who twice whipped in free kicks that centre backs Mawson and Jordi Amat both headed over.

Sigurdsson also flicked on a Wayne Routledge cross that Lamine Kone did well to clear in front of his own goal – but by half time neither keeper had been given an effort on target to deal with in a fairly uninspiring first 45 minutes.

It was Sunderland who started the second half the brighter and after Swansea keeper Lukasz Fabianski did well to gather another low Jones cross, Defoe hammered just wide from the edge of the area after being teed up by Steve Pienaar.

But moments later, the home side came to life and after referee Craig Pawson adjudged that Sunderland’s Jason Denayer had blocked a Routledge cross with his hand inside the area – Sigurdsson fired high into the net from the penalty spot to give his side a 51st minute lead.

The Black Cats nearly responded immediately when an Anichebe cross flashed across the face of goal, before it was Sigurdsson again who fashioned another Swansea chance with a sublime reverse pass to Barrow, who saw his low left foot shot tipped wide by Jordan Pickford.

But from the resultant corner, it was 2-0 as Sigurdsson’s low cut back was turned in by Llorente to put the Swans in total control after 54 minutes.

The Spaniard should have added his second in a frantic period of Swansea pressure, but failed to connect with Barrow’s knock down from a Sigurdsson cross, before another wicked set piece delivery by the Icelander saw Amat’s header from point blank range tipped over by Pickford.

At the other end, Defoe dragged a left foot effort well wide and Papy Djilobodji put a free kick wastefully into the wall - but David Moyes' men mustered little in the way of chances and on 80 minutes, it was game over.

Swansea substitute Jefferson Montero surged down the left and chipped a precise left footed cross onto the head of Llorente - who guided his effort into Pickford's top corner.

Sunderland did go close late on when Fabianski tipped Djilobodji's header onto the bar from substitute's Adam Januzaj's corner - but it was Swansea who kicked off a season defining Christmas period with a third Premier League win of the season, moving out of the bottom three on goal difference in the process.

Swansea City: Lukasz Fabianski, Angel Rangel, Alfie Mawson, Jordi Amat, Neil Taylor, Leon Britton, Jay Fulton, Modou Barrow (Jefferson Montero 76), Gylfi Sigurdsson, Wayne Routledge, Fernando Llorente (Oli McBurnie 84).

Subs not used: Kristoffer Nordfeldt, Kyle Naughton, Mike van der Hoorn, Jack Cork, Leroy Fer.

Sunderland: Jordan Pickford, Billy Jones, Patrick van Aanholt, Jason Denayer, Papy Djilobodji, Sebastian Larsson (Adnan Januzaj 55), Didier Ndong (Jan Kirchoff 57), Steven Pienaar (Javier Manquillo 85), Lamine Kone, Victor Anichebe, Jermain Defoe.

Subs not used: Vito Mannone, Fabio Borini, Wahbi Khazri, John O’Shea.

Referee: Craig Pawson.

Assistant referees: Scott Ledger, Dave Bryan.

Fourth official: Graham Scott.