Sunderland win their first Premiership game in 27 attempts.

The Black Cats 2-0 win at Middlesbrough is their first in the top flight since 15 December 2002.

Paolo Maldini sets a new Serie A appearances record.- Sunderland win their first Premiership game in 27 attempts. The Black Cats 2-0 win at Middlesbrough is their first in the top flight since 15 December 2002. Tommy Miller and Julio Arca score the long-awaited goals for Mick McCarthy’s team. The storm clouds move to Everton who are now bottom of the Premiership for the first time since November 1997. After the heroics of last term, they have lost eight out of nine games this season, are out of the Champions League and almost certain to drop out of the UEFA Cup later this week.

- Paolo Maldini sets a new Serie A appearances record. The AC Milan captain’s appearance the 2-0 victory at Treviso was his 571st top-flight Italian game to take him beyond Dino Zoff’s previous record. He has now played 801 games for Milan in all competitions, having made his league debut on 20 January 1985.

- Brazilian football is in turmoil after a top referee was arrested yesterday over allegations that he was involved in a match-fixing scheme which affected games in this year’s championship. FIFA ref Edilson Pereira de Carvalho was arrested following allegations that he accepted bribes from an illegal Internet gambling ring to fix matches. Carvalho has also been suspended by the Brazilian Football Confederation, along with Paulo Jose Danelon, after allegations which were published by the weekly news magazine Veja.