MAN CITY 4, SUNDERLAND 1
Manchester City will be slightly disappointed to have scored only four goals in their home Premier League victory against Sunderland.
They could easily have doubled their total after creating 19 goal attempts, nine of which were on target.
It was one-way traffic for City who made a whirlwind start and had the game won in the opening quarter by which time that were 3-0 ahead after 22 minutes.
Goals from Raheem Sterling, Yaya Toure, Wilfried Bony and Kevin De Bruyne earned City the victory that keeps City third in the table as they overwhelmed the hapless Black Cats who looked to be facing a battle to retain their Premier League status in the second half of the season.
The only dampener for City was that club captain Vincent Kompany suffered a recurrence of a calf strain less than 10 minutes into his return following an 11-game lay-off.
City manager Manuel Pellegrini was delighted with the win, but also the manner of the victory.
He said: “It was an important victory because not only we won three points, but the way we played.
“It was back to a normal performance in which we played attractive football and tried to score goals.
“Against Arsenal it was difficult to talk positively, but we had 60-per-cent of possession and returned to our style. We scored four goals and created more chances.”
Pellegrini was not unduly worried about failing to keep a clean sheet for the 11 games in which Kompany had not started.
“It was better to win 4-0 rather than 4-1. If we won all our remaining games 4-1, it would not be a problem,” he added.
Pellegrini, who confirmed Sergio Aguero will be fit to play at Leicester City on Tuesday, also praised David Silva who is firing on all cylinders after an injury-plagued start to the season.
“David had a long injury, but when he plays well, the whole team plays well,” explained Pellegrini.
City made two changes from the side that kicked off at Arsenal on Monday.
Bony replaced Aguero who is still struggling for fitness while Sterling was preferred to Fabien Delph.
And it was the recalled Sterling who have City the lead in the 12th minute as he headed home a De Bruyne cross from six yards low to the right of keeper Vito Mannone for his ninth goal of the season to draw level with Aguero and De Bruyne at the top of the scoring charts.
Five minutes later and it was 2-0 when David Silva laid off the ball to Toure who advanced forward before thumping a shot low to the left of Mannone from 22 yards for his fifth goal of the campaign.
Sunderland had their first chance after 20 minutes when Danny Graham headed narrowly wide.
City added a third goal midway through the opening period when Bony headed a home a De Bruyne free kick from 16 yards. It was Bony’s eighth goal of the season and De Bruyne’s eighth Premier League assist.
Toure forced a diving save from Mannone from 30 yards as City came close to a fourth goal in the opening half hour.
Silva then made a weaving run before dragging wide a shot from just outside the box as it remained one-way traffic.
Sunderland had another rare sortie forward as Fabio Borini’s angled shot forced a sharp save from Joe Hart low down at the near post.
Mannone prevented Silva from adding a fourth goal within three minutes of the restart with a fabulous save to turn his shot round the post for a corner. Silva played a delightful return pass from De Bruyne who backheeled the ball into the path of the Spaniard.
It was not long before City Made it 4-0 when De Bruyne scored his 10th goal of the season in only 19 starts in all competitions.
The Belgium tried to find Bony with a pass, but defender Sebastian Coates, sliding in, deflected it back to De Bruyne who slotted the ball low past Mannone.
Sunderland scored a consolation just short of the hour when substitute Lee Cattermole released Borini. His first shot was well blocked by Hart but the rebound fell back to him and he found the net from the tightest of angles.
City had failed to keep a clean sheet in any of the 11 games in Kompany’s absence from the starting line up.
Kompany made his long-awaited return on the hour with Delph also brought in as Nicolas Otamendi and Toure were given a break.
City ought to have added a fifth goal when Silva was fouled in the box by Coates, though contact looked debatable on television replays. Sunderland will believe justice was done when Bony blazed over from the spot.
Kompany’s return lasted less than 10 minutes when he limped off to be replaced by Martin Demichelis.
De Bruyne brought another fine save from Mannone and Bony, following up, blazed over when he ought to have hit the target.
Bony then had a shot saved by the legs of Mannone as they just couldn’t add to their tally.