"We returned to our normal performance of playing attractive football, trying to scoring goals.”
, Manuel Pellegrini – 26/12/2015.
This was just what City fans had wanted from Santa. A display of confidence, purpose, and bravado in front of a record 54,523 crowd, who were hopeful of a reboot in performance after seeing the unveiling of City’s new badge.
In need of points having lost the previous six pointer to Arsenal, Manuel Pellegrini had made the bold move of starting with a 4-2-2-2 formation, despite being shorn of City’s talisman Kun Aguero by a knock from the Arsenal game, which meant he could only start on the bench. So Raheem Sterling partnered Wilfried Bony up front, the big Ivorian still needing some confidence boosting performances to fully convince the City faithful.
City’s play began with a swagger that had been missing since the end of the record unbeaten run back in September against West Ham. Kevin De Bruyne was unplayable as he covered the space created across both wings by the irrepressible David Silva. The two put on a footballing master class which would fill Soccer AM’s showboat two times over, with touches and moves normally reserved for the training ground.
Raheem Sterling started the dissection of Sam Allardyce’s, compact Sunderland set up, with his speed and movement causing no end of difficulty for the Sunderland defence. He could, and should, have been awarded a penalty on 5’ after being brought down on the left of the area by Billy Jones, but instead received a yellow card for simulation. The first of many decisions from referee Anthony Taylor who presumably felt sorry for the torment City’s attack were subjecting on Sunderland.
The breakthrough came quickly though, as seven minutes later De Bruyne seized on an over hit Kolorov cross, and as the jeers from Sunderland fans stuck in their throats, he curved in an inch perfect cross for Sterling to head down and past a stranded Vito Mannone, one nil.
Five minutes later Yaya, who together with Fernandhino had been dominating the midfield, got in on the scoring. Seemingly unsure whether the score with his left or right boot, he baffled the Sunderland defence before eventually deciding to pass the ball with pace into the side netting from 20 yards out with his left boot. The game was afoot, and City were in the driving seat.
On 22’ a fabulous curling free-kick from De Bruyne, was met by Bony’s head for him to guide the ball into the right of the Sunderland net. The ease and accuracy of De Bruyne's ball and the payoff of the direct play from City made you wonder why oh why City do not go for the jugular like that more often.
City dominated the rest of the half but the only effort which found the net, from Sterling, was called back, quite rightly, for offside. Still the first half had been pure entertainment and just what the team needed as a boost for a packed fixture list in the next two weeks.
The second-half started as the first had ended, with City dominating the play.
The fourth goal came on 54’, Kevin De Bruyne playing an unplanned one-two with Sunderland defender Coates, and then calmly passing the ball into the net to add a goal to his two assists.
Borini grabbed a consolation for Sunderland on 59’ after City failed to pursue the second ball from a half hit Cattermole shot, however this was City’s day from start to finish, with a series of bizarre refereeing decisions keeping substitute Cattermole out of the book perhaps Sunderland’s real highlight.
David Silva won a penalty after another foul from Coates just inside the box, but Bony placed the ball high right and over, to take the shine off what could have been a hatrick performance. That and the untimely withdrawal of a returning Kompany after only nine minutes of a cameo substitute performance.
Results elsewhere had fallen kindly, Leicester beaten by Liverpool, and Arsenal later trounced 4-0 by Southampton. All of which means the six pointer against Leicester on Tuesday 29th could bring City level on points with the current league leaders. Given this performance the team should go into that game with confidence, but will still need to be at their best to beat this season’s surprise package.
@l0ngwayfr0mh0me
Etihad Stadium Manchester
