MX23RW : Tuesday, March 19 04:08:27| >> :120:6862:6862:
[monks data]
Manchester City logo
Premier League
Apr 16, 2014 at 7.45pm UK
 
Sunderland

2-2

Fernandinho (2'), Nasri (88')
FT(HT: 1-0)
Wickham (73', 82')

Match Analysis: Manchester City 2-2 Sunderland

Sports Mole analyses the Premier League match between Manchester City and Sunderland.

Manchester City's ambitions to win a second Premier League title in three years has taken a huge blow after they were held to a 2-2 draw by Sunderland.

Fernandinho gave the home side the lead after two minutes, but two goals from Connor Wickham late in the second half looked to have earned the Black Cats a famous win.

However, Samir Nasri struck two minutes from time after a mistake from Vito Mannone, but the draw leaves him six points behind leaders Liverpool with one game in hand.

Below, Sports Mole assesses whether a draw at the Etihad Stadium was a fair result.

Match statistics

Manchester City
Shots: 16
On target: 4
Possession: 57%
Corners: 3
Fouls: 14

Sunderland
Shots: 11
On target: 3
Possession: 46%
Corners: 6
Fouls: 10

Was the result fair?

Sunderland deserved at least a point for their application at a ground where many clubs have been blown away this season. The Black Cats created at least six clear-cut chances during the 90 minutes, but so did Manchester City, who will be left ruing Samir Nasri's miss in the closing stages. Both teams will feel that they did enough to win the game, but both were fortunate to come away with a point.

Manchester City's performance

After such a bright opening, it proved to be a frustrating night for Manuel Pellegrini and his side. Whether it was tiredness or not, only they know, but City didn't play with any urgency until they were required to do so during the final few minutes. Sergio Aguero impressed before being withdrawn shortly before the hour, but the team performance was littered with errors and this result could potentially cost them the Premier League title.

Sunderland's performance

Gus Poyet looked like a man who was expecting the worst when Sunderland fell behind after two minutes, but his players responded with the type of display that they were producing earlier in the campaign. They played with determination and never once looked in awe of City's superstars. Emanuele Giaccherini was terrific when introduced midway through the second half, and he played a crucial part in both of Connor Wickham's goals. Their showing was undermined by a shocking error from Vito Mannone, but Poyet will take belief from this performance as they prepare to travel to Chelsea at the weekend.

Sports Mole's man of the match

Connor Wickham: The Sunderland attacker didn't feature for the opening 70 minutes but he came to life in the closing stages. He could hardly miss when netting his side's equaliser from three yards out but the second was confidently struck inside the near post from just inside the penalty area. It was a memorable moment for a player who has struggled to prove himself at the Stadium of Light, but this could be the springboard to greater things.

Biggest gaffe

Samir Nasri will be disappointed to miss an opportunity to win the match for his side in the final minute, but gaffe of the night must go to Vito Mannone. Nasri's shot had a decent amount of pace on it, but it was an effort that should have been held by the Italian, and you could feel the stopper's agony as the ball trickled out of his grasp and into the bottom corner. That error cost his team two points, but it would have been worse had Nasri not missed from six yards out shortly afterwards.

Referee performance

It proved to be an eventful 90 minutes for both teams, but it wasn't for the man in the middle. Martin Atkinson's only big decision came when Wes Brown slid in late on Sergio Aguero, but the defender escaped without a booking when he could have very easily have been shown a red card.

What next?

Manchester City:

Manchester City host West Bromwich Albion on Easter Monday before travelling to in-form Crystal Palace the following weekend.

Sunderland:

Sunderland travel to Chelsea on Saturday before a huge encounter with Cardiff City at the Stadium of Light.

ID:150229: cacheID:150229:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:6392:No Data Analysis info
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Sunderland's Connor Wickham celebrates after scoring his team's first goal against Manchester City during the Premier League match on April 16, 2014
Read Next:
Nasri rescues draw for Man City
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Arsenal28204470244664
2Liverpool28197265263964
3Manchester CityMan City28196363283563
4Aston Villa29175760421856
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs28165759421753
6Manchester UnitedMan Utd28152113939047
7West Ham UnitedWest Ham2912894650-444
8Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton2811985044642
9Wolverhampton WanderersWolves28125114244-241
10Newcastle UnitedNewcastle281241259481140
11Chelsea27116104745239
12Fulham29115134344-138
13Bournemouth2898114152-1135
14Crystal Palace2878133348-1529
15Brentford2975174154-1326
16Everton2887132939-1025
17Luton TownLuton2957174260-1822
18Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest2967163551-1621
19Burnley2945202963-3417
20Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd2835202474-5014

Subscribe to our newsletter


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!