Manchester City Vs. Sunderland: City Cruise To 5-0 Home Win

We’d been waiting all season for Roberto Mancini’s side to just go out and crush somebody, and generally we’d been thoroughly disappointed. Manchester City have all the attacking talent they need to be regularly winning games by three or four goals, but something about them (mostly the tactics, I suppose) has never been quite right. Two weeks ago City were subject to a demeaning loss at Stamford Bridge, where they managed half a shot at goal while giving Chelsea the freedom of the pitch. Was today going to be any different?

Erm, yes. City ditched their holding midfield pairing and went with a 4-4-2, pairing Carlos Tevez and Mario Balotelli up top with David Silva and Adam Johnson on the wings. Yaya Toure supported the frontmen while Nigel De Jong was left to clean up in case any Sunderland play looked to threatening. Whether this was a response to the constant criticism of style or simply a recognition that the Black Cats are a team in freefall and City’s goal differential would one day be important nobody’s really sure, but one thing is clear - it worked.

Adam Johnson gave the hosts the lead in the 10th minute before it was doubled by a Carlos Tevez penalty shortly thereafter. Sunderland came back into the match towards the end of the first half, but that momentum didn’t carry through to the second and they were annihilated towards the end of the match, conceding three goals in quick succession to turn a 2-0 loss into a 5-0 stomping.

The final kick of the match perhaps best sums up the game. Up by five, with no time left, Mario Balotelli drew a fine save from poor Simon Mignolet on a 20 yard free-kick that by all rights should have made it six. When Manchester City are still attacking you with the game well and truly won, it really isn’t your day.

Incidentally, this should all but wrap up the chase for the Champions League spots. with Tottenham Hotspur dropping points against Wigan, City are now five points clear of Spurs in 4th place with seven games to play. Sunderland, for their part, haven’t scored in something like seven hours of league football, and their European challenge is long, long, long gone.