skip to content
football.co.uk
It's finished and City have claimed a narrow win thanks to Ireland's strike - but Sunderland will feel hard done by and deserved a point at least.
Chopra's volley from distance is well held by Hart
There will be three minutes of injury time at Eastlands
The visitors get another corner in quick succession but this time Dunne heads it away
City clear the corner easily and Sunderland waste another opportunity
Harte's free-kick from just outside the box is deflected over the bar by the head of Garrido
Time is running out for Sunderland now, they will feel they have done enough to get a point but look like losing
Michael Ball comes on for Elano as City make another change, looking to protect the 1-0 lead it seems
Nosworthy is booked for a poor challenge on Hamman
Another Vassell cross is cleared by Sunderland
Wallace's deep cross is aimed at Jones but he can't stretch enough to guide the ball home and another Sunderland chance goes begging
Petrov's cross is headed over by Bianchi
Dunne didn't know too much about that clearance but City survive and hold the lead
The score is quite harsh on Sunderland as Leadbitter wastes a great chance, Dunne clearing off the line
Chopra's cross at the other end is easily dealt with by the City defence
Ireland's cross misses the City strikers and Sunderland survive another attack
The goal has livened the home fans up - Ireland's strike going through the legs of Gordon after a great turn and cross from Vassell
Ireland puts City ahead with a fine volley from Vassell's excellent cross
Still a lack of clear-cut chances but it's been a better half than the first so far
Nosworthy commits a foul and Keane complains but the referee's decision appeared fair
Leadbiitter's cross is headed clear by Corluka
Chopra makes an immediate impact as his shot is blocked by Dunne
And Murphy is also off now, Ross Wallace is on in his place
Sunderland boss Roy Keane makes a double change - Stokes goes off for Michael Chopra
Rolando Bianchi comes on for Mpenza
Elano wants a penalty after a challenge from Nosworthy, but it's a great sliding tackle
It's been a more competitive start to the second half, but both sides are squandering possession too easily
Jones breaks forward for Sunderland but his shot is well held by Hart
He's up though and defends well as City mount an attack
Nyron Nosworthy has been caught by an accidental elbow by Dietmar Hamann and goes down with a nasty-looking knock
Ireland tries to thread a difficult pass through when a shot would surely have been the better option
Johnson has gone off for City at half-time, Darius Vassell replacing him
The second 45 minutes gets underway
After two minutes of injury time, it's half-time in what has been a poor game so far
Elano shoots from at least 40 yards from a free-kick but it's very ambitious and no bother for Gordon
Murphy fires over a dangerous cross but Hart gathers it well
Liam Miller's shot is weak and doesn't trouble Hart
Collins has been a rock at the back for Sunderland so far this evening
Garrido's low cross is cleared behind for a corner by Collins, which the visitors defend well
The game has livened up now after a slow first 25 minutes
Stokes and Leadbitter combine as Sunderland stretch City but the latter's shot is wide
Elano's shot from distance flies over, but City have improved in the last five minutes
Roy Keane makes his way into the technical area and the City fans react with a chorus of boos
Mpenza shoots again but Gordon is equal to it, suddenly the home side have woke up
Elano finds Mpenza but his shot is off-target, better from City though
Vedran Corluka has gone down with an injury and the game will be held up
Elano gets past Collins and fires a shot goalwards - but it's straight at Craig Gordon
Sunderland are working very hard to restrict the home side in midfield
Stephen Ireland's cross is easily cleared by Dickson Etuhu as City finally mount an attack
Stokes' header is wide from a well-delivered free-kick from Grant Leadbitter - a decent chance
Sunderland will be fairly pleased with their start tonight, City have been poor though
Murphy's cross is decent for Sunderland but City defend well
Jones appears to be OK and he gives away a foul for a City free-kick from which Collins eventually clears
Jones appears to have picked up a knock to his knee and will need treatment
Richard Dunne defends well to get to the ball ahead of Kenwyne Jones from a decent Stokes cross
City have been very lethargic early on and Sunderland look sharper at the minute
Another Harte cross from a free-kick is cleared by Emile Mpenza as Sunderland settle quicker
Sunderland win an early corner and Danny Collins gets his head on the delivery but it's harmlessly wide
Harte's free-kick is slightly overhit and goes behind for a City goal-kick
City enjoy the majority of the early possession
The action begins at Eastlands
Joe Hart is back in goal for City in place of Andreas Isaksson while Sun Jihai and Martin Petrov also start, for Sunderland Ian Harte was handed his first start for the club and Daryl Murphy was recalled
Manchester City play host to Sunderland hoping to put a 6-0 drubbing at Chelsea last time out in the league behind them. Sven-Goran Eriksson's side had made a storming start to the Premier League before their trip to Stamford Bridge, but the Citizens were put firmly in their place by the champions of 2005 and 2006. That left former England head coach Eriksson furious with his side's capitulation, as he said: "The defeat was not so much a reality check as a reality shock. "It will not happen again. We perhaps played too open and if you want to win anything in football then 50 per cent of the job is to defend. If you are not prepared to defend properly you will not win anything. "We will lose games again in the future, but I can promise not in the same way as last Saturday. My faith in the players has not been shaken at all." Eriksson has Sweden goalkeeper Andreas Isaksson back in the fold after injury and he may start in place of England Under-21s ace Joe Hart, but Micah Richards is almost certain to miss out due to a knee problem. Roy Keane's Black Cats arrive at Eastlands without a win in their last five league games. Last time out a late Kenwyne Jones strike rescued a point from a 1-1 draw with Fulham, after Greg Halford had been sent off midway through the second half. Halford will join fellow defender Paul McShane on the sidelines, with the latter completing a three-match suspension for his red card against Arsenal. Carlos Edwards, Dean Whitehead, Kieran Richardson and Russell Anderson head a lengthy injury list at the Stadium of Light, with Keane's squad already being stretched to the limit.
Stephen Ireland produced one moment of magic to help Manchester City create a post-war record. The midfield player's spectacular winner against Sunderland made it seven successive home league victories for City, their best start to a season since 1902. Ireland's strike midway through the second half finally broke the stalemate on what was an otherwise frustrating night for Sven-Goran Eriksson's side which struggled to break through a stubborn Sunderland defence. Indeed, it looked for three-quarters of the match as though the Black Cats would pick up a valuable point in their battle against relegation. City's goal followed their best move of a lack-lustre display in which they looked to be still suffering a reaction from their 6-0 defeat at Chelsea. Martin Petrov sent a raking crossfield pass to Javier Garrido on the left and he released substitute Darius Vassell whose cross from the left side of the penalty area was volleyed home by Ireland from a tight angle. There had been few Bonfire Night fireworks until that point in a match which must have been a turn-off for the live television viewers. Sunderland had a great chance to snatch the lead in the opening period when Anthony Stokes headed narrowly wide from Grant Leadbitter's cross. Yet late in the half City almost took the lead when Vedran Corluka's header from Petrov's corner beat keeper Craig Gordon only for Daryl Murphy to save the day with a goal-line clearance. Eriksson brought on Vassell in place of Michael Johnson for the restart to try and inject more bite into their attack. And it eventually paid dividends when Vassell helped set up Ireland's match-winning goal, his first of the season. The goal provoked an immediate response from Sunderland who had their best spell of the match. Leadbitter stole in at the far post and his shot beat keeper Joe Hart only to luckily strike captain Richard Dunne who was covering on the line. Ross Wallace then delivered a superb low cross from the left which Kenwyne Jones, sliding in at the far post, narrowly failed to reach, as City endured some nervous moments defensively. And though City were far from their best, they still secured a win which maintains their fine start to the season.
Corners
Fouls
Goal attempts
Shots off target
Offsides
advertisement
football.co.uk web