WHAT a difference three months makes!

The last time Sheffield Wednesday were on Wearside, Sunderland slumped off the Stadium of Light pitch feeling sorry for themselves and grateful for the season end.

Time and distance over the summer helped anger and frustration subside and with a new head coach and a fresh start comes renewed optimism but very few if any Sunderland fans will have taken their seat for the first time this season expecting to see what they witnessed on Sunday. Sunderland were brilliant and at times breathtaking.

Sheffield Wednesday headed for the North East on a five-game winning run in all competitions but the stunned Owls were fortunate not to be five goals down at half-time. Three was enough for the brilliant Black Cats, who made it four less than two minutes into the second half.

Regis Le Bris was unmoved in the technical area when he was the recipient of a deafening home roar before kick-off but there was a telling show of emotion when Eliezer Mayenda scored his first Sunderland goal after quarter of an hour. That came after Dennis Cirkin’s opener and before Luke O’Nien’s second of the season, with the Black Cats three goals to the good just after the midway stage of the first half.

Mayenda was on hand to score his second immediately after the restart and while the striker’s brace doesn’t change the fact Sunderland still desperately need to sign a striker before the transfer deadline later this month, it does show that Le Bris was right to put his faith in the teenager. Penny for the thoughts of Ike Ugbo, by the way. The striker, who was wanted by Sunderland this summer but re-signed for Sheffield Wednesday after a loan move last season, was introduced from the bench when the Owls were 4-0 down and watching the clock wishing for full-time.

It is, as Le Bris himself has admitted, too much to expect Mayenda to be Sunderland’s line-leading main man all season but as the 19-year-old demonstrated on Sunday, he’s got something and can no doubt play a key role this term.

On the subject of teenagers, Chris Rigg made his first league start, in for the injured Alan Browne, and built on his impressive midweek Preston display with an outstanding showing. What a talent.

And what a major boost it would be to Sunderland’s hopes this season if Jack Clarke is still wearing red and white come September. After his goalscoring start at Cardiff, he terrorised Sheffield Wednesday, had a hand in the third goal and created the fourth.

Sheffield Wednesday fans celebrated in this stadium in May but plenty didn't last an hour this time around, heading for the exits after Sunderland's fourth.

Had things worked out differently in the summer, Danny Rohl could have been taking charge of his first Sunderland home game on Sunday. Instead, he committed to Sheffield Wednesday keen to build on his outstanding work last season and targeting a promotion push.

This humbling brought the Owls crashing back to earth. As for Sunderland, expectations will inevitably and unsurprisingly soar after this. In 47 minutes, the hosts scored twice as many goals as they managed in the last seven home games of last season.

The rout started after just 11 minutes. Clarke won a free-kick and a training ground routine paid off, Roberts shaping to shoot but instead lofting the ball to the back post where Cirkin thundered his header past James Beadle.

The second came just four minutes later when Josh Windass punished for an attempted back-heel in his own half. Mayenda pounced on the loose ball and curled into the corner.

O’Nien then scored his second of the season and Sunderland’s third inside 25 minutes, the defender on hand to stab home after Beadle could only parry Rigg’s effort from the edge of the box.

Svante Ingelsson had a goal ruled out for offside in a rare Wednesday attack before Sunderland pushed for more goals. Roberts and Rigg both went close late in the first half and Mayenda wrapped up the emphatic victory early in the second.