Sunderland Women secured a 2-1 victory over Burnley in the Women's Championship Regular Season on Saturday, 13 September 2026. The result leaves the visitors sitting proudly at the summit of the table after two rounds, while the hosts remain rooted to ninth place with just a single point to their name.
E. Hughes opened the scoring at the 28th minute with a well-taken effort. Burnley responded quickly, and by the 38th minute the game was level thanks to an own goal from the same player. It was a moment that caught everyone off guard, and to be fair, the momentum shifted entirely in Sunderland's favour after that.
Both sides made several changes during the second half, with Burnley bringing on M. Chandarana at half-time and M. Corbyn following an hour. Sunderland kept their options open, introducing S. Franssi and A. Paul in quick succession. There were bookings for M. Corbyn, J. Brown, and B. Cairns as the game wore on, but nothing that disrupted the flow too much.
It was E. Hughes who ended the match on her own terms. She netted her second of the afternoon in the 90+8th minute, giving Sunderland the lead they needed and extending their unbeaten run. The home side had opportunities to equalise but never got going after the break.
Before the match, Burnley had drawn 0-0 against Watford and lost heavily to Manchester United, while Sunderland had started brightly with a 4-1 win over Bristol City. This result means the table goes out of the window for anyone who thought Burnley might bounce back quickly.
With six points from two games, Sunderland now hold every card in their own hands for the top spot. Burnley, meanwhile, are still searching for their first win of the season, and the pressure will only grow from here.