Facts and stats up with some tasty prices thrown in. After two games without a win, Manchester City are in real need of a win but so are Sunderland. Opta provides the stats. Defeat by Chelsea in their last match at the Etihad Stadium ended a run of 11 consecutive home wins for Man City and 61 Barclays Premier League games without failing to score on home turf. You can lay City at 1.21. The Black Cats have kept four clean sheets in their last six Barclays Premier League away matches. They are 10.0 to not concede. Manchester City have not lost back to back Premier League home games since December 2008. They are 1.2 to bounce back with a win. The Citizens have only kept one clean sheet in their last five Premier League home matches, shipping seven goals in total during this run. Sunderland are 2.08 to score a goal. Sunderland have gone six on the road without defeat in the Premier League (W3 D3 L0) - this after winning just one point in their eight PL away games (D1 L7) prior to this run. They are available at 15.0 in the Draw No Bet market. Man City have won just two of the last eight Premier League meetings with Sunderland (W2 D2 L4), with all four of Sunderland's victories being 1-0 wins. The Black Cats are 50.0 to win 1-0. James Milner has scored five goals against Sunderland in the Premier League; more than against any other Premier League opponent. This includes his first ever goal in the competition. Milner is likely to be available at 6.0 to find the net. Former Man City man Adam Johnson has had a hand in eight goals so far in 2014 in the Premier League (six goals, two assists); more than any other player. Johnson should be priced at around 8.0 to score against his old club. Since the start of their title winning season in 2011-12, Manchester City have conceded only four goals in the opening 15 minutes of Premier League games. City are 1.55 to be leading at half-time.
Gus Poyet doesn't know how his Sunderland side will keep Manchester City at bay GUS POYET has no grand masterplan to prolong Manchester City’s mini-drought in front of goal. For the Sunderland boss reckons the only way the visitors can avoid defeat at the Etihad Stadium tonight is by taking City on at their own game. Despite Wes Brown being sidelined following his red card on Saturday and Argentine centre half starting his first Premier League game, Poyet won’t be instructing his side to park the bus in front of Vito Mannone’s goal. City may have drawn a blank in their last two games but that’s asking for trouble, according to the Black Cats’ chief. “I watched Crystal Palace lose only 1-0 at City recently and thought they did very well,” he said. “But it’s very easy for teams like Palace and Fulham at Manchester United to go there to defend and try to break. “They have the players to do that but we don’t. “We have got another system that is different and for some reason, it is better away from home.” Poyet insists tonight’s fixture will have little bearing on next month’s Capital One Cup final but admits a positive result could give Sunderland a psychological boost. He added: “The final will not be on my mind but we’ll learn a lot and if our system works, I am sure it will put some things in my mind for later.” And the Sunderland boss has no problems with Yaya Toure being available tonight after he escaped a retrospective ban after kicking out at an opponent against Norwich. “I’m a little bit old-fashioned in terms of looking back at videos,” he said. “What happened, happened and the referee didn’t see it. Unlucky.” Meanwhile, he revealed striker Steven Fletcher, who is nursing an Achilles tendon injury, is on course to be fit for the Wembley clash.
Whatever the situation Fletcher could make a massive difference to our season. I think it's more than likely that he'll leave in the summer but a few goals before then would be nice.
GUSTAVO POYET has challenged Santiago Vergini to force his way into Sunderland's Capital One Cup final plans by shackling the most potent strike force in the Premier League. Having come off the bench to make his first top-flight appearance at the weekend, Vergini will make his maiden Premier League start against Manchester City tonight in place of the suspended Wes Brown. This evening's game is a dress rehearsal for next month's Capital One Cup final between the same two teams, and while Brown and John O'Shea have formed Sunderland's first-choice defensive pairing for most of the last three months, Poyet insists his Wembley plans are not yet set in stone. Some decent performances in the next few matches could have major repercussions in terms of the starting line-up for the final, with Vergini finding himself with an unexpected opportunity to press his claims. “I know my team for this game (against Manchester City), but I don't know my cup final team,” said the Sunderland manager. “I don't know how the players are going to be from now until then, and how good the new players will be. A lot can happen between now and then. “This is a good chance for Santiago, and he has been waiting for a chance like this. We always say you have to be ready because you never know when an opportunity like this might come around. “He has to hit the ground running, but it is the best way, especially with the mentality he's got. I brought him in, and I'm convinced he's going to be all right. “It's a nice game for us to find out. A nice pitch, with nice opposition, and at least there's going to be no (Sergio) Aguero! I'm relaxed about him, and I'm not bothered about that side of things.” Vergini signed a season-long loan when he left Argentinian side Estudiantes last month, with his full registration still belonging to Uruguayan club Atletico Fenix. The complexity of his ownership arrangement meant a loan was simpler to conclude in the limited time available during the January transfer window, but Poyet admits he is already considering a permanent switch in the summer. That will be dependent on Sunderland avoiding relegation and Vergini impressing in the final four months of the current campaign, and from watching the defender in action in South America, Poyet is confident the 25-year-old boasts the skills required to succeed in English football. “I think it's easier for defenders to adapt and fit in,” he said. “The way they play doesn't change too much, you need to be able to see danger and make tackles, although it's probably more important to also be good in the air in England. “It's not always possible, and it depends on the qualities (of the player), but if you have the opportunity to bring someone in for six months and see how they do, it's the perfect situation. “Sometimes, it's not possible and you need to sign them straight away, but this is a great opportunity and, one way or the other, he will show us what he can do.” While Manchester City have been sweeping all before them for most of the season, last weekend's goalless draw with Norwich was the second game in succession in which Manuel Pellegrini's side have failed to score. Norwich boss Chris Hughton set his side up to be tough to break down, and the ploy worked as a strike force featuring Alvaro Negredo, Stevan Jovetic and Eden Dzeko was unable to make a breakthrough. Crystal Palace almost claimed a draw with similar tactics at the Etihad earlier this season, while Fulham's packed defence and ability on the break enabled them to snatch a point from Old Trafford on Sunday. Other sides in Sunderland's position would adopt a similarly defensive mindset tonight, but Poyet does not believe his team are capable of 'parking the bus' and playing for a goalless draw. Instead, he will be instructing his players to stick to their passing principles and take solace from their impressive recent record on the road. “It's been quite easy for teams like Palace and Fulham to try to defend and play on the break,” he said. “They have the players to do that, but we don't. “If you can find someone who wants to play like this with Sunderland, I am happy to let them try. But we won't. “If we played that way, Ki (Sung-Yueng) wouldn't play, and there are good players who would be on the bench because they cannot play that way. We have another system that is different and, for some reason, it is better away from home.” It hasn't been tested at somewhere as challenging as the Etihad though, and Sunderland's task is all the harder after Yaya Toure avoided retrospective punishment despite appearing to kick Norwich striker Ricky van Wolfswinkel at the weekend. Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has been extremely critical of the FA's decision not to hand Toure a three-match ban, but Poyet feels the authorities made the right call. “Did Yaya Toure kick the player? Yes,” he said. “But is it enough for a suspension? No. Do we really want our players to play in ballet shoes? We're playing football and there's contact. “These things happen in games, and I'm a little bit old-fashioned when it comes to looking back at things on video. What happened, happened. The referee didn't see it? Unlucky.”
Losing to Hull and Vile, drawing with Southampton and Norwich and only beating Stoke is costing us as the table shows. We desperately need points from the impossible away games ahead starting tonight...what ffs is wrong with our home form..imho Altidore is part of the problem but he is only one player why does it look as if all the players have taken some mogadon when they come out?
I saw that and wondered if it would be a good thing or not. It would mean we can't lose Brown would miss the Arsenal away match but rested for the final. On the other hand, it's not the worst time to play them and Vergini would be pissed off. Whatever happens, I hope everyone has a safe journey down there
Manchester City P-P Sunderland Tonight's postponement could cause the secretaries at Manchester City and Sunderland some troubles. When can they reschedule this game? Premier League clubs cannot play in midweek when the Champions League is on - regardless of whether City are still in the competition - and both sides are still in the FA Cup. Both sides' involvement in the Capital One Cup final means that they have already had to reschedule one Premier League fixture each. The rearranged game could be massive at both ends of the table too... Please don't stick it in the final month.
They will stick it in right at the end of the season pal. hopefully man city will have the league won by the time we play them.
