1) Manchester City respond after Burnley – only just
Manchester City’s Manuel Pellegrini was exasperated by the fashion of Burnley’s comeback to draw 2-2 at the Etihad in their previous outing, the manager reminding his players afterwards they must not let up until the final whistle. There will then have been despair at the deja vu all over again that unfolded before the Chilean’s eyes as his side spurned a two-goal cushion against a visiting team for a consecutive outing. City managed to get over the line here but there are signs their early season struggles could again return to undermine them when the business side of the campaign arrives.
2) Touré shows what Pellegrini will miss
Forget about a tweet, send a message on a 25-yard rocket that bursts the Sunderland net and tells the manager to consider carefully the next time he wants to rest his star midfielder. Yaya Touré had challenged Pellegrini’s explanation for not playing him by stating on Twitter: “Just a note to say the boss rested me for the Burnley game, I am not injured …! I really hope to be involved against Sunderland! #ComeOnCity!” The Ivorian is off to the Africa Cup of Nations so is keen to play before his departure around 10 January and on an afternoon that caught fire only late on he was City’s best footballer, his opening strike the catalyst in what became a vital three points gained.
3) Caballero given a rare chance in goal
Was the Argentinian’s inclusion related to the England goalkeeper Joe Hart’s display against Burnley when he might have done better with the opener, a George Boyd touch that beat him despite diving the right way? If so, this would seem a harsh decision. And if Pellegrini gave Willy Caballero a second Premier League start only to rest Hart then this could be filed under “odd” as the latter has stated he dislikes not playing for this reason. Caballero talks of challenging for the starting berth and turned in a professional display, making an impressive save from a Sebastian Larsson free-kick in the first half while being able to do little about Jack Rodwell’s header or Adam Johnson’s penalty.
4) Return to default system works thanks to Lampard
Injuries to Sergio Agüero, Edin Dzeko and Stevan Jovetic had forced Pellegrini into a switch, saying before kick-off: “We have changed the style of play in the past few weeks and we have been doing well while our strikers recover their fitness. We prepared a different style in training, one that gives the midfielders time to arrive at the edge of the box and so we are creating more space.” On Thursday, the false No9 James Milner was dropped for a traditional centre-forward in Jovetic but not until the latter was replaced by the evergreen Frank Lampard did City have their winner, as the midfielder registered a seventh goal this season.
5) The fit-at-last Rodwell proves a factor
Having been dropped from Sunderland’s matchday squad against Aston Villa the former City schemer was reinstated by Gus Poyet and scored a fine header after the break. In the half season Jack Rodwell has been at the Black Cats there have already been more Premier League starts – this was his 11th – than the seven registered in an injury-blighted two years at the Etihad Stadium. This has been the good news for the 23-year-old, though he has struggled to convince Poyet, with the manager saying about leaving him out: “I want him to react now.” Rodwell did in the best way.
