There’s a few fixtures that every City fan looks for when the annual league fixture list is released each summer: the Manchester derbies, the first and last games, and a few others. One such game is Wednesday’s match at the Stadium of Light, as we face Sunderland in the Premier League, buoyed by Sunday’s 3-0 win at St Mary’s.
Manuel Pellegrini will be hoping his side take new confidence from that, and go into a game that has brought a lot of disappointing results in recent seasons, with no wins there since the middle of 2008.
Few involved with the club will have pleasant memories of the last time The Black Cats visited the Etihad either. That game came about a month before City lifted their second Premier League title in three years last season, but the 2-2 draw against Sunderland in mid-April nearly cost them. Fernandinho scored in the 2nd minute to give the impression it’d end up being an easy evening, but after The Blues failed to capitalise on that goal, a double from Connor Wickham after some typically poor defending put the visitors in front. It took an 88th minute equaliser from Samir Nasri to gain a share of the points, but he also blazed a shot over from a good position that could have earned all three too.
That game came just a month after thatcup final at Wembley. As many will well remember, Fabio Borini put Sunderland ahead in the first half, and although they held out well for much of the game, those two wonderful goals from Yaya and Samir Nasri in two minutes put us in front. Jesus Navas wrapped up a great day in North London, and one that’ll be fondly remembered for some time.
Of course, in the corresponding fixture to this one last season, we experienced our customary 1-0 loss in the north-east. We went through the usual stages of not being able to break them down or get the ball through the defence, whilst Sunderland grabbed a contentious goal on the break through Phil Bardsley, who may or may not have fouled Zabaleta in the lead up to the goal. In fact, the last four games at the Stadium of Light have all ended in 1-0 losses for City, dating back to August 2010. That record has to end eventually, surely?
To add to their pre-existing worries about the past record, City have a few injury concerns ahead of the trip to the north-east. Edin Džeko (calf) and David Silva (hamstring) are both still injured, but could be back for the visit of Everton on Saturday evening, as is Aleksandar Kolarov (calf) who should be back fit to face Leicester City later in the month. Two new additions to the list are Matija Nastasić with a thigh muscle strain, who could return before Christmas, and Vincent Kompany. Kompany picked up a hamstring injury in the win at Southampton, but Manuel Pellegrini said in his press conference that the club will wait until matchday before deciding whether he can face Sunderland. Eliaquim Mangala is also missing for the match, as he will be serving his one-match ban for the red card he saw in Sunday’s St Mary’s victory. This has caused some debate about who’ll start at centre-back against Sunderland, with most people touting Martin Demichelis and Bacary Sagna.
On the other hand, Sunderland’s injury list is relatively small. Patrick van Aanholt is still out with a dislocated shoulder, as are Billy Jones and Emmanuel Giaccherini with hamstring and ankle injuries respectively.
City will be keen to break the trend of recent losses against Sunderland on their home turf, and if we finally manage it, it could create a good effect around the camp, much like when we finally managed to get the better of Everton in the 2011-12 season, who at the time were also a bogey team, having won 7 of the last 8 encounters. Manuel Pellegrini will also be keen to carry on the good form we’ve seen as of late, with the winning run now up to three games.
