Manchester City v Sunderland: Premier League – as it happened
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Version 0 of 1. 4.56pm GMT16:56 So, wouldn’t you know it, City are joint top of the league thanks to Frank Lampard’s winner, when he should have been up the Empire State Building, in training for New York City. Now he is the fourth-highest goalscorer in the history of the Premier League, one ahead of Thierry Henry. That was a very important goal, after City had let their lead slip, and after City’s draw with Burnley. After a pedestrian first half, that became a lot of fun. Updated at 5.09pm GMT 4.52pm GMT16:52 Final whistle: Man City 3-2 Sunderland 4.49pm GMT16:49 90+3 mins: City looking for a fourth goal. 4.48pm GMT16:48 90 mins: Five minutes of injury time to play, Kolarov pulls it back for Milner, who shoots over. 4.46pm GMT16:46 89 mins: David Silva clears his nostrils in front of 50,000 people or so, and leaves the pitch. Good game. Milner on. 4.45pm GMT16:45 87 mins: City chucked away a 2-0 lead against Burnley in their previous game. They did it here too. Can they hold on to the lead this time? 4.42pm GMT16:42 85 mins: Kolarov on, Nasri off. This has been a truly bonkers second half. Pantilimon, who is 7ft, saves from Fernandinho. 4.41pm GMT16:41 84 mins: Sebastian CO-A-TES. Ralph Coates. Spot the difference. 4.38pm GMT16:38 82 mins: Navas finally gets in behind the defence, and he delays his shot and Pantilimon, who is 6ft 11, blocks him. 4.36pm GMT16:36 80 mins: Phew, we can all calm down a bit. Five minutes without a goal...then Lampard has a shot saved. 4.35pm GMT16:35 78 mins: Seb Coates has come on for Vergini in defence. Yaya Toure just took on the whole Sunderland defence, skipped past them, but he got too close to Pantilimon, who is 6ft 10. 4.33pm GMT16:33 76 mins: They shouldn’t be in this game still, but Sunderland could get something. Ricky Alvarez has made a difference. His dribbling led to the penalty. 4.32pm GMT16:32 74 mins: Sunderland were level for 95 seconds, apparently. Cross was drifted in from the left by Clichy, it evaded Wes Brown, and Lampard just took a small step to get the right position and headed it low inside Pantilimon’s right-hand post. This is unsane. 4.30pm GMT16:30 Goal! Manchester City 3-2 Sunderland (Lampard 73) Header by Frank Lampard, obviously. Updated at 4.45pm GMT 4.28pm GMT16:28 Goal! Manchester City 2-2 Sunderland (Johnson pen 71) Perfect penalty by Adam Johnson, to Caballero’s left. Updated at 4.52pm GMT 4.27pm GMT16:27 PENALTY!! 71 mins: Jones brought down by Zabaleta 4.26pm GMT16:26 70 mins: Jovetic off and that controversial man Frank Lampard is on. He should be in New York, you know... 4.25pm GMT16:25 69 mins: Navas hits the post! 4.25pm GMT16:25 Goal! Manchester City 2-1 Sunderland (Rodwell 68) 68 mins GOAL FOR RODWELL Updated at 4.47pm GMT 4.23pm GMT16:23 Goal! Manchester City 2-0 Sunderland (Jovetic 67) MAN CITY 2-0 SUNDERLAND Updated at 4.35pm GMT 4.22pm GMT16:22 64 mins: Sunderland sub: Ricky Alvarez on, Will Buckley off. 4.20pm GMT16:20 61 mins: There was so much pent-up frustration in that shot from Toure and he timed it beautifully. Pantilimon is 6ft 9in but could not get close to it. Updated at 4.26pm GMT 4.18pm GMT16:18 60 mins: This is going to be interesting, seeing Sunderland trying to get back in this. That was the first goal they have conceded away from home in almost 420 minutes, but now they need to score. 4.16pm GMT16:16 58 mins: It was just the usual pass, pass and more passing by City and then a short pass to Yaya Toure, just outside the box, and he unleashed a shot, he pummelled it home. It was still rising as it went in. Pantilimon had no chance. 1-0 to City. 4.14pm GMT16:14 Goal! Manchester City 1-0 Sunderland (Touré 57) GOAL FOR MAN CITY Updated at 4.21pm GMT 4.11pm GMT16:11 54 mins: Gus Poyet bemoaned these games being so close together but I don’t know if his approach would have been any different with a week between fixtures. 4.09pm GMT16:09 51 mins: Adam Johnson tucking in at left-back when need be, very disciplined back five if need be. 4.07pm GMT16:07 50 mins: Sunderland have defended brilliantly. Updated at 4.16pm GMT 4.05pm GMT16:05 48 mins: It’s raining again. This is a carbon copy of the start of the first half. All City. 4.04pm GMT16:04 47 mins: Here’s Frank Updated at 4.08pm GMT 4.02pm GMT16:02 Second half starts: JA Hopkin writes in saying it’s time for Frank. I just watched that film. Fassbender is magnificent. 3.50pm GMT15:50 Here is our man Jamie Jackson’s view Average fare at Etihad... 3.47pm GMT15:47 Peep! The half-time whistle goes. That was not the stuff of New Year’s Day dreams, unless you are a Sunderland fan, I guess. City dominated but only created a couple of good chances. Sunderland had a free-kick. I bet you can’t wait for the second half. 3.46pm GMT15:46 45mins: Corner and Jovetic heads...wide. You knew that. I knew that. The rain has stopped. This is not a good game. 3.43pm GMT15:43 42mins: Sunderland have ventured over the halfway line in the last two minutes and that has upset Clichy into hitting a clearance at his own player but it rebounds safely, just, to Caballero. 3.40pm GMT15:40 40mins: Save! Larsson free-kick kept out by Caballero! 3.38pm GMT15:38 38mins: Cynical trip by Jovetic - he has to do something, I suppose - but he doesn’t get a yellow. Updated at 3.43pm GMT 3.37pm GMT15:37 37mins: Toure has a go, with a sidefoot from 20 yards. That’s never going to do it, Yaya. 3.35pm GMT15:35 35mins: This is attack v defence. Defence is winning. 3.34pm GMT15:34 33mins: The corner comes to nought, however. 3.33pm GMT15:33 33mins: Brown slices a cross over his bar and Larsson is booked. 3.31pm GMT15:31 31mins: Shot! Silva on his left foot from 20 yards, but easy enough for Pantilimon to fist away 3.30pm GMT15:30 30mins: If Sunderland push up the pitch, Navas will burn them down the flank, so they’re just sitting back, nice and deep. 3.27pm GMT15:27 27mins: Nasri runs out of patience and his shot goes high over the Sunderland bus defence 3.26pm GMT15:26 25mins: Four and a quarter games gone for Sunderland without conceding a goal. I can see why. 3.23pm GMT15:23 23mins: Pablo Zabaleta’s cut forehead has reopened, despite his bandage, and he’s gone off. He’ll probably put in his own stitches. Updated at 3.33pm GMT 3.22pm GMT15:22 22mins: Goals, goals everywhere, but nothing at the Etihad. 3.20pm GMT15:20 21mins: Silva has a go from 12 yards, just wide, after a bit of penalty box pinball 3.20pm GMT15:20 20mins: Yup, it’s official. It’s a rubbish game. TV are plugging the FA Cup FINAL!!! 3.18pm GMT15:18 17mins: The BT Sport guys are saying it’s like a training ground runabout, such is the lack of intensity. City’s pace has slipped since those opening five minutes. 3.16pm GMT15:16 16mins: Yellow card for Billy Jones for holding back Navas Updated at 3.19pm GMT 3.15pm GMT15:15 It seems some people aren’t happy about Frank Lampard staying with City. Updated at 3.18pm GMT 3.12pm GMT15:12 12mins: Toure got whacked by Rodwell and is walking gingerly. 3.11pm GMT15:11 11mins: Navas cross low from the right, into the six-yard box, but easy one for Pantilimon. 3.09pm GMT15:09 9mins: Sunderland have got five men in midfield in front of the back four. Connor Wickham is going to have a, um, difficult afternoon. 3.08pm GMT15:08 8mins: Toure has a pop from 30 yards but it goes way over the bar. Mind you, Pantilimon, could probably have grabbed it if he was bothered. That man is tall. Updated at 3.14pm GMT 3.06pm GMT15:06 6mins: Everything is going through Silva, and Sunderland will really have to be on their guard. 3.04pm GMT15:04 4mins: City are looking sharp and Sunderland are finding it hard to get out of their half. 3.01pm GMT15:01 2mins: All City possession and then Jovetic shoots wide 3.00pm GMT15:00 Peep! Game has started 2.59pm GMT14:59 Yup, as I thought. Pellegrini has got his full-length raincoat on. Updated at 3.11pm GMT 2.55pm GMT14:55 The teams are coming out of the tunnel. 2.50pm GMT14:50 I’m told that this is City’s only festive fixture live on TV, unlike Chelsea/Man U. Thank you, JA Hopkin. 2.48pm GMT14:48 Manuel Pellegrini is wearing a very sleek-looking City hoodie in the interview room. I imagine him wearing that at home on Christmas Day. I don’t think it will last the rain today, however. 2.47pm GMT14:47 Poyet has just said on TV that Jack Rodwell will have to play a perfect game, because they haven’t got Cattermole. No pressure, Jack. 2.40pm GMT14:40 It does grate, doesn’t it, a bit like when ITV used to show Manchester United Champions League games with nothing riding on them. 2.37pm GMT14:37 Some thoughts on BT Sport’s possible over-exposure of Manchester City from Dan Lane, a very nice reader. He asks: “Does anyone know when BT Sport are going to make it official and change their name to Man City TV? I’ve no stats in front of me but it feels like City are on BT Sport a lot. Does it feel like that to anyone else?” 2.33pm GMT14:33 But he’s not playing for Gus Poyet today - he’s a pundit for BT Sport. 2.32pm GMT14:32 Julio Arca, Sunderland legend, is on the pitch 2.26pm GMT14:26 Pantilimon also plays against his former club. But non want-away Lampard is on the bench for City. Your thoughts on Frank reneging on his promise to join New York... 2.17pm GMT14:17 Joe Hart is on the bench, should Willy Caballero have to come off. 2.13pm GMT14:13 For Sunderland, Jack Rodwell gets to play his former team, but Lee Cattermole is out injured. 2.11pm GMT14:11 Other team news: Fernando is suspended for one game for City and Toure was a slight doubt but is obviously fit enough. Jovetic is back, relieving James Milner of his forward duties for now. 2.08pm GMT14:08 We should get some clarification on why Joe Hart isn’t playing before too long, but Manuel Pellegrini may just be trying to rest his goalkeeper. 2.07pm GMT14:07 No Joe Hart for City 2.06pm GMT14:06 The teams! Sunderland: Pantilimon, Vergini, Jones, Brown, O’Shea, Rodwell, Larsson, Gomez, Johnson, Buckley, Wickham. 2.05pm GMT14:05 The teams! Man City team: Caballero, Zabaleta, Mangala, Demichelis, Clichy, Fernandinho, Silva, Navas, Nasri, Toure, Jovetic 2.00pm GMT14:00 Stat Sunderland have drawn 11 of their 19 league games this season, and six in their last nine. 2.00pm GMT14:00 One more thing Sunderland’s defence away from home has been very impressive since they were gubbed 8-0 at Southampton in October. Five away games since then, and they’ve kept four (consecutive) clean sheets, and they only conceded one goal in the other game, a 3-1 win at Crystal Palace. The highlight of their away form was their 1-0 win at Newcastle. Could they top that today...? 2.00pm GMT14:00 Preamble Manchester City: the year so far They have managed to hold on to Frank Lampard until the end of the season, which is probably a good thing. But, just a reminder he is not the goal machine of old, he only scored twice from October to December, although one of those was the winner at Leicester. Sunderland: the year so far Er, they haven’t sold Jozy Altidore...yet. This can be a sticky fixture for City. They have managed two draws and a win at the Etihad in the previous three seasons. Last season it was a thrilla: 2-2, Samir Nasri rescued a point two minutes from time, and the title pendulum appeared to have swung back in Liverpool’s favour.... |