Manchester City V Sunderland - Match Thread

Paully D

Kicking off at 4pm on Sky Sports 1.

Sunderland welcome back Campbell and Turner to the squad. Mensah's red card that he got against Liverpool has been rescinded so he's available. Richardson's very doubtful with a hamstring injury and Onouha can't play against his parent club.

Predicted starting line-up:

Mignolet

Ferdinand Bramble Mensah Bardsley

Sessegnon Henderson Cattermole Muntari Welbeck

Gyan

Manchester City are missing Boateng and Richards, but Zabaleta has returned to the squad after being on compassionate leave. Tevez should be fit to play. I'll guess at their predicted side, but hopefully a Manchester City fan with more knowledge can correct me if I'm off the mark:

Hart

Zabelata Kompany Lescott Kolarov

Milner De Jong Barry Toure Silva

Tevez

I think it will be a very scrappy game with the midfield becoming a dogfight. It will be a very low scoring game IMO and I could see it finishing 0-0. However, Manchester City have more players who can produce one moment of quality so unfortunately from a Sunderland point of view I think it will be 1-0 to Manchester City.

bradlente

Should be the same old story for City if those probable line-ups start.A cautious affair with few chances.Can't see more than 2 goals in this.Starting with one striker at home is just too cautious for me,Dzeko instead of one of the middle men would be a far better line up to start with imo.

Hard to know with Sunderland,been hot and cold like so many this season.Have got some good results against the big teams including beating Citeh at home so I wouldn't rule them out.

I'm gna say 1-1.

That_Guy

Come on Citeh.

karma_

If I had any hair left I'd be pulling it out!

ffs Mancini, give AJ a start, have Dzeko on and get a few crosses into the box.

Johner

Come on Sunderland! Gyan anytime scorer.

Xavi6

If ever it was important to win a game it's today. Spurs f*cked up again and we need to capitalise with three points at home.

We'll probably draw though.

applehunter

Sunderland have been terrible away from home.

3-0 Man City

Paully D

Bramble out with cartlidge damage, ****, ****, ****, ****, ****.

Xavi6

Bobby is finally going for it! \o/

Hart, Boyata, Kompany, Lescott, Kolarov, De Jong, Yaya, Silva, Tevez, Johnson, Balotelli.

IvySlayer

If Sunderland get something out of this, it'll be the perfect weekend for United!

Cypher_sounds

Gwan Danny boy!!

Xavi6

Stuck a few quid on Crazy Mario to score any time. Watch that fail spectacularly.

Soby

Lads what the craic with champions league rules now.If Spurs were hypothetically to win the CL and finish 5th they dont get a spot do they ?

Cypher_sounds

Great move in fairness and a good finish

Xavi6

Get the fook in!

ctrl-alt-delete

Well worked goal, but nobody followed Johnson from a sunderland point of view.

iMuse

Soby wrote: »

Lads what the craic with champions league rules now.If Spurs were hypothetically to win the CL and finish 5th they dont get a spot do they ?

The team in fourth spot would then miss out and spurs would get it.

Hoki

Its pretty crazy Johnson hasnt been used more this season, anytime iv seen him play he has been fantastic , Tevez penalty - goal!

Cypher_sounds

Hard to know what to make of that call, harsh enough looking to award that

ctrl-alt-delete

Just about in with that penalty, game over surely?

Xavi6

Lovely. Feckin hate Bardsley. The drought is over.

Cypher_sounds

Seeing it again i suppose twas a peno alright

Xavi6

Hoki wrote: »

Its pretty crazy Johnson hasnt been used more this season, anytime iv seen him play he has been fantastic , Tevez penalty - goal!

He has just been out for three months in fairness.

ctrl-alt-delete

This could get real bad for Sunderland, the defense don't seem to be cohesive at all, and City look hungry!

Cypher_sounds

ctrl-alt-delete wrote: »

This could get real bad for Sunderland, the defense don't seem to be cohesive at all, and City look hungry!

And Brucey looks fairly worried on the touchline there, didn't seem to look bothered by the awarding of the peno:pac:

JohnnyRyan99

Absolutely love watching AJ play, one player i would love to see spend his entire career at the club!

Delighted he's back, he brings us something no other player could during his absence! Bit of ingenuity out wide, coupled with the ability to make that run inside when space is there!

Xavi6

Webb is having a fucking shocker.

Nalz

Xavi6 wrote: »

hate Bardsley

really? hate?

ctrl-alt-delete

Johnson trying to repeat his goal from the Stadium of Light last season!

Mensah was lucky that time that Webb didn't see/chose not to see him holding Ballotelli, especially considering he is on a yellow.

ctrl-alt-delete

Stupid and nasty tackle from Kolorov/Kewell.

ctrl-alt-delete

"if that had have gone in the net, it would have been 2-1 . . ."

World Class punditry from Allardyce, wouldn't mind but he does talk an awful lot of sense most of the time.

Xavi6

Trilla wrote: »

really? hate?

Yep, not much love for him from any City fans.

ctrl-alt-delete

Man City have sat back and allowed Sunderland to get back into the game possession wise anyways,

Even at 2-0 there was a stage where Man City were still going all out attack to get another, but they have decided against that now.

Even with some decent ball time since then Sunderland have yet to muster a decent chance.

Assured from City so far, I still expect them to see this out comfortably, but there are certainly more goals for them from that Sunderland defence if they went for it with the same gusto as they did early on.

I've been disappointed with Sunderland, I've seen them many times this year and they are capable of much better - they really do seem to blow hot and cold, there doesn't seem to be an in between.

DOC09UNAM

iMuse wrote: »

The team in fourth spot would then miss out and spurs would get it.

I thought that rule was changed after Liverpool won the CL and didn't qualify for it?

ctrl-alt-delete

DOC09UNAM wrote: »

I thought that rule was changed after Liverpool won the CL and didn't qualify for it?

Uefa gave Liverpool special dispensation and so they were in the next seasons one, England had 5 qualifiers that year,

From then on, the rule was that if any team wins the competition but fails to qualify through the league, they will enter the competition at the expense of the 4th placed team.

iMuse

DOC09UNAM wrote: »

I thought that rule was changed after Liverpool won the CL and didn't qualify for it?

Yeah it was changed so that the lowest ranked team (4th) would go into the europa league and the winners of the CL would take their place. liverpool got a once off exception to play in the CL so thats why the rule was changed

Xavi6

Could watch Silva and Johnson all day.

ctrl-alt-delete

Xavi6 wrote: »

Could watch Silva and Johnson all day.

Linesman will be relieved it didn't go in after flagging that offside!

Lovely ball from Silva, Johnson is just class, always looking to pass and move into great positions.

JohnnyRyan99

Glorious

ctrl-alt-delete

JohnnyRyan99 wrote: »

Glorious

And a little bit too easy, the Sunderland defense have been terrible really.

Xavi6

What a ball from De Jong. He's been superb.

ctrl-alt-delete

Terrific display from Johnson, makes way now for Vieria who scores with his 1st touch,

4-0

Mars Bar

If that didn't cross the line, it would surely have been in for save of the season?!

bazual

Now get Tevez off, my biggest rival has him as captain in fantasy football.

ctrl-alt-delete

mars bar wrote: »

If that didn't cross the line, it would surely have been in for save of the season?!

And if he didn't have balls he'd be playing for Doncaster Belles

AgileMyth

Don't get to say this often but great call from the linesman for that one.

Xavi6

mars bar wrote: »

If that didn't cross the line, it would surely have been in for save of the season?!

Nah Craig Gordon had that sewn up months ago.

Another academy product on now. Ruining football.

JPA

It's 5

Xavi6

Lol Catterfail

ctrl-alt-delete

What the hell was Cattermole(I think) at?

Suicide.

5-0

Professional Griefer

Great finish!