Star studded Manchester City team loses 0-1 to 19th Placed Sunderland
Oladunjoye Opeyemi
Manchester City suffered their fourth Premier League defeat of the season as Sunderland’s revival under Gus Poyet gathered pace.
Phil Bardsley scored the only goal in the first half when he shrugged off James Milner and curled in a low shot. City’s domination through the match was thwarted by a well-organised Sunderland defence and goalkeeper Vito Mannone.
By the end of the match, as the hosts soaked up incessant City pressure, every Sunderland touch was greeted with a roar by the home fans.
Manchester City have suffered 1-0 defeats on each of their last four trips to the Stadium of Light. They have a 100% home league record contrasts starkly with their performances away from the Etihad Stadium, where they have four defeats and just one win in six games.
It was the Black Cats’ third win in four games in all competitions and Poyet’s third in as many home games since he succeeded Paolo Di Canio as manager. In just over a month at the helm, the Uruguayan appears to have instilled a confidence and composure in his team as they registered their first clean sheet of the tournament.