Arouna Kone grabbed a hat-trick as Everton piled on the Premier League relegation worries for Sam Allardyce's Sunderland with a 6-2 demolition job at Goodison Park on Sunday.
Everton's victory lifted them to eighth in the table with 16 points from 11 games while Sunderland remained second from bottom on six points. Roberto Martinez's men were 2-0 up inside 31 minutes thanks to Kone and Spanish forward Gerard Deulofeu.
Kone sent a looping ball over the defence for Deulofeu to score the opener and the Ivory Coast international added a second goal following a one-two with strike partner Romelu Lukaku on the edge of the box. Jermain Defoe inspired a brief Sunderland rally, volleying their first goal in stoppage time before playing a part in Steven Fletcher's headed equaliser in the 50th minute.
The visitors, however, were always vulnerable to the counter attack and Everton made it 3-2 when Sebastian Coates prodded a right-wing cross from Deulofeu into his own net.
Deulofeu also set up the fourth for Lukaku, with the Belgian rounding goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon to score. Another Everton counter-attack led to Kone planting the ball into the net with his left foot in the 62nd minute before the Ivorian completed the rout with a close-range header following a centre with the outside of his left boot from Lukaku.
