Manolo Gabbiadini struck twice on Wearside as Southampton cruised to a 4-0 Premier League victory at bottom of the table Sunderland.

Southampton's £14.6 million January signing from Napoli left the locals among a crowd of 39,931 cursing as he set the visitors on the road to just a second league win in eight attempts, with Jason Denayer's own goal and a fourth from substitute Shane Long completing the rout.

Sunderland boss David Moyes and his players had been buoyed by their resounding 4-0 win at Crystal Palace last weekend and sensed an opportunity to climb from the foot of the table.

And as the Saints arrived at a wintry Stadium of Light with one eye on the EFL Cup final, the home side started in promising fashion.

Darron Gibson, making his first start, and Didier Ndong drove them on as they pushed the visitors back, and, had 14-goal striker Jermain Defoe been able to react quickly enough to convert Adnan Januzaj's near-post cross rather than stab his effort wide, they might have had some reward.

But Southampton eased themselves into the game with full-back Ryan Bertrand enjoying the space he was afforded down the left, and that avenue proved profitable on the half-hour.

Owen Humphreys/PA Wire

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Bertrand's teasing cross sent defender Lamine Kone and Gabbiadini -- who had earlier scuffed a shot across goal -- into battle at the near post and the ball ended up in the net with replays suggesting it had gone in via the striker's shoulder.

But there was no doubting who had got the final touch when the Saints extended their lead as the clock ticked into first-half stoppage time.

Dusan Tadic picked out 25-year-old Gabbiadini's run inside the penalty area and the frontman turned defender John O'Shea before firing past goalkeeper Vito Mannone.

O'Shea was replaced by midfielder Steven Pienaar at the break, but things might have got worse within seconds of the restart when Gabbiadini volleyed straight at Mannone.

Sunderland were bereft of ideas and found themselves under constant pressure, with Mannone beating away a stinging 63rd-minute Tadic drive after he was allowed time and space to cut inside.

Saints goalkeeper Fraser Forster made his first save with 66 minutes gone when he fielded Ndong's speculative effort, but Mannone had to palm away Long's header and a shot from Nathan Redmond as time ran down.

However, the Italian was powerless when Denayer turned Bertrand's 88th-minute cross past him, and Long added to the hosts' misery in stoppage time.