5 months ago
Something had to springiness and it was not Sunderland’s unbeaten location Premier League record. Instead Manchester City’s winning streak came to a juddering halt arsenic Pep Guardiola’s broadside spurned a chance to move wrong 2 points of Arsenal astatine nan apical of nan table.
Hats – aliases should that beryllium chapeaus – disconnected to Régis Le Bris and his clever and courageous Sunderland squad for not simply frustrating City but offering Gianluigi Donnarumma scope to punctual everyone precisely why he is simply a world-class goalkeeper.
As nan last whistle blew, Erling Haaland had been contained, City’s tally of 8 consecutive wins successful each competitions was complete and it was each excessively easy to spot why nan Stadium of Light DJ has taken to playing nan Dave Clark Five’s ‘Glad All Over’ soon earlier kick-off.
It was Haaland’s first sojourn to nan Stadium of Light and City’s nary 9 did not return agelong to make his mark. Only six minutes had passed erstwhile Haaland flicked connected Rayan Cherki’s area and Bernardo Silva’s outstretched ft did nan rest.
Yet arsenic City celebrations were trim short and Sunderland’s goalkeeper, Robin Roefs, nary longer looked rather truthful crestfallen it became evident that a sharp-eyed linesman had detected that Silva was fractionally offside. When a lengthy video adjunct referee confirmed that judgement it seemed that Silva must person overextended a toe.
It represented rather a reprieve for a Sunderland broadside that were sunk 3-0 astatine nan Etihad successful early December and, creditably, they endeavoured to make nan very astir of it.
Brian Brobbey has taken clip to build his fittingness up since arriving from Ajax soon earlier nan summertime transportation deadline but nan striker showed disconnected oculus catching spot to link pinch a agelong shot and not truthful overmuch motion Rúben Dias disconnected but bulldozer done nan defender.
Brobbey had missed 2 fantabulous chances during past Sunday’s 1-1 tie pinch Leeds but a good prevention from Gianluigi Donnarumma ensured that it was not to beryllium 3rd clip fortunate for a centre guardant good alert that Régis Le Bris is actively looking to reenforce his frontline this month.
If Sunderland’s head was impressed by Brobbey’s disruptive physicality, Le Bris’s must besides person been softly encouraged by his full team’s intelligence and competitiveness. Nordi Mukiele had, unusually, struggled against Dominic Calvert-Lewin during that Leeds sojourn but nan erstwhile Paris Saint-Germain defender looked backmost to his champion present and delighted successful often subduing Haaland.
When, acknowledgment to a clever interchange pinch Matheus Nunes and Phil Foden, nan Norwegian yet succeeded successful dodging Mukiele and his chap minders Roefs reacted smartly to prevention nan striker’s changeable pinch his legs. Almost instantly Guardiola’s persistent pacing of nan distant method area assumed nan benignant of manic strength that was surely much astir soul agitation than a riposte to nan bitter Wearside chill.
As nan somesthesia sunk beneath freezing constituent it served arsenic a reminder that a time erstwhile nationalist carrier successful nan northbound eastbound proved non-existent, having unopen down for nan New Year holiday, was hardly perfect for staging an 8pm kick-off. And particularly not erstwhile visiting City fans faced an icy, three-hour, precocious night, trans-Pennine thrust home.
At slightest location was plentifulness of excitement successful a thrillingly end-to-end first half that was drafting to a adjacent erstwhile Brobbey and Granit Xhaka, paved nan measurement for a perchance pivotal moment. It progressive Guardiola’s defence coming wholly undone and Le Bris’s right-back, Trai Hume glancing a header narrowly complete nan bar.
Despite overmuch decent attack play, City had only managed shots connected target during nan first 45 minutes. The preamble of nan fresh again Rodri astatine nan outset of nan 2nd half helped changed that narrative.
With Foden now afforded much state to attack, Savinho swiftly directed 1 highly inviting, Cherki conjured, chance complete nan crossbar earlier prompting Roefs into a stellar prevention pinch his legs.
Yet if things seemed a small much straightforward for nan visitors connected nan pitch, disconnected it Guardiola’s early appeared cloaked successful uncertainty.
The revelation that nan erstwhile Chelsea head Enzo Maresca has discussed nan anticipation of succeeding nan Catalan should he opt to time off Manchester this summertime pinch City officials added an aerial of intrigue to proceedings.
More immediately, 1 point was arsenic agleam arsenic nan adjacent afloat satellite illuminating nan Wearside skies; Sunderland were not astir to surrender. Sure enough, City again had Donarumma’s excellence to convey for a superb prevention from Eliezer Mayenda aft Enzo Le Fée’s sublime walk outwitted Guardiola’s rearguard.
The visiting manager’s distress was simply compounded by nan occurrence Xhaka and friends were enjoying successful disrupting City’s customary midfield fluency. Not for nan first time, Le Bris’s tactical blueprint was succeeding successful frustrating precocious calibre opponents. At times it was difficult to ideate that Sunderland were missing a quartet of cardinal first teamers presently different engaged astatine Afcon successful Morocco.
Not that City gave up. The closing stages saw them unit their hosts ever deeper, pinch a bid of progressively hopeless blocks and interceptions preserving 1 of surely nan astir precious points Sunderland will collected this season.
