After watching that most recent display against Sunderland, I felt like someone had knocked the wind out of me. Despite already having my hopes badly damaged after that disastrous affair at Anfield, I still clung to hopes that City could get back into it. With the draw against the Black Cats everything seems to be slipping away similar to the ball in Vito Mannone’s hands.
From the beginning, Manchester City was billed as going to blow away the Black Cats for some odd reason, despite the team always struggling against them. Even in the League Cup Final, City were down for a large portion of the match and that match is an outlier. Although the early lead made it seem City were going to waltz away with three points in this match, Sunderland’s personal agenda to stay in the top flight lead them to pulverizing the City back four time and time again.
This was by and large City’s worst performance of the season, especially on the offensive end where both Sergio Aguero and Alavaro Negredo made their returns to the lineup only for them both to put in lukewarm performances. In Aguero’s defense he is still coming off a long injury while Negredo has been out of form since what feels like forever. The only bright point for City offensively came in the form of the man who’s legs can’t work in Stevan Jovetić who’s brief shift began to wake up the City goal machine.
Time and time again, the man made of glass, Jovetić, would collect the ball in the middle of the park and try to string some passes before Milner would knock out it. Jovetić never let up and played well around the box but Sunderland were too well organized. If anything it was shocking to see that Sunderland maintained all eleven players despite Wes Brown attempting to amputate Aguero’s foot in a hard tackle in the first half. Other than Jovetić though the side was lacking, Fernandinho was too busy helping Javi Garcia to contribute to offense, Nasri was consistently forced out too wide, and Milner put on his worst performance all season.
Before this match James Milner was someone whom City fans would argue deserves more time. After this match we see why he is best served as an impact sub. He would make runs to nowhere, terrible crosses, and his defensive contribution did nothing to really kill the Sunderland offensive. He was continually giving the ball away and helped create most of Sunderland’s counter-attacks. As the match drew to a close, I was left wondering “who are City going to bring on for Milner?” With no Milner to come off the bench, the Milner on the field helped lead this terrible team performance. The sluggish attack coupled with the manic defense lead to Sunderland having easy targets on goal but luckily their poor finishing did not make this a one-sided affair.
Looking at the closing of the season City’s chances are dwindling. What hope was left after the Anfield loss has dwindled after this draw. Dashed are the aspirations that if City could win their remaining games and Chelsea to beat Liverpool could the title head back to Manchester. At worst City are going to be looking at a new medical team for Matija Nastasić for a return of a solid back four.
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