Sunderland 1-0 Manchester City - Player ratings

Sunderland 1-0 Man City player ratings

Sunderland

Vito Mannone (54) – Only had to make 4 saves despite Man City having 24 shots at goal. He was there when his side needed him most, but will have to thanks his defence for their brilliant display.

Ondrej Celustka (1) – Woeful passing stats that show him to have completed only 19 of the 31 passes he attempted. However, the summer signing made 9 clearances to help the team claim a fourth successive win at home over City.

Phil Bardsley (91 and Squawka Man-of-the-Match) – Massive performance by Bardsley who got up and down the flank all day long. Scored the match-winning goal to put the nightmare he suffered under the tutelage of Paolo di Canio behind him and his experience will be key to Sunderland’s rise up the table.

John O’Shea (46) – Cool on the ball, O’Shea completed 29 of his 35 passes against City and was pivotal in keeping his side in front.

Wes Brown (75) – Making his first start for nearly two years, Brown marshalled the Sunderland defence like he’d never been away. The 34-year old would have been Man-of-the-Match if not for Bardsley’s goal, making 10 clearances and an incredible 6 interceptions.

Ki Sung-Yueng (42) – The midfield metronome completed 91% of his passes and even winning both of the aerial challenges he went up for; arguably his best performance in a Sunderland shirt.

Jack Colback (6) – Gus Poyet has moved the Colback into his natural position and although he was quiet the academy product looked a lot more comfortable than when playing under di Canio. Completed 90% of his passes.

Emanuele Giaccherini (-9) – Didn’t see much of the ball and was brought off in the 71st minute as Sunderland looked to consolidate their lead. Didn’t complete a single cross during his time on the pitch.

Seb Larsson (36) – Tracked back all game and was tireless in his side’s shock victory. Should have been sent off for a shocking challenge in the first half and could face action from the FA.

Adam Johnson (1) – Was ineffective for the majority of his time on the pitch, but can hardly be blamed considering the opposition. The result was the important thing and Poyet will be delighted with all of his players.

Steven Fletcher (-6) – Won 3 of the 7 aerial challenges he went up for, but was left isolated for much of the game with City dominating throughout.

Subs:

Craig Gardner (17) – Put in a solid shift when he came on, will be hoping he can impress Poyet enough to earn a starting place in the future.

Jozy Altidore (-11) – Despite scoring negative numbers in his Performance Score he managed to do a job for Poyet, holding up the play whenever possible. Still looking for his first Premier League goal for Sunderland, though.

Fabio Borini (0) – No chance to make any sort of impact, touching the ball just the once.

Manchester City

Costel Pantilimon (-17) – Plain and simple, really, should have done better with the goal which was the only thing he had to do all game.

Micah Richards (10) – Spent most of his time in the opposition half as City tried to break through the Sunderland defence, but went missing on the goal. If Zabaleta had been on the pitch, would Bardsley have scored?

Aleksandar Kolarov (20) – Came close to scoring a sensational equaliser, but his crossing (4/13) was woeful and his importance to the team continues to be questioned.

Joleon Lescott (0) – Didn’t have much to do, but had a couple of chances to score at the other end and should have done better with a header late on in the game.

Martin Demichelis (26) – Solid, but wouldn’t be on the pitch if both Vincent Kompany and Matija Nastasic were fully fit. Completed 66 of his 73 passes (90%).

Javi Garcia (5) – Was brought off at half-time as a precaution after being on the wrong end of a studs up challenge.

Yaya Toure (10) – Not his usual self and despite completing 96% of his 90 passes, he will be disappointed with his performance today.

James Milner (33) – Industrious as always, but is not what you need when you’re chasing a game and trying to unlock a determined defence. Didn’t create a single chance for his teammates.

Samir Nasri (73) – Continued his recent good form and was one of the best performers for the away side as he created 5 chances whilst registering a 93% pass completion rate. Manuel Pellegrini looks to be getting the best out of the petulant Frenchman.

Alvaro Negredo (2) – Barely had a touch and failed to make his mark on the game. Only had 2 attempts on goal during his time on the pitch with neither hitting the target.

Sergio Aguero (9) – Not one of his better days; Aguero was left frustrated as Sunderland sat back and flooded their box with players. Will be looking to bounce back after the international break.

Subs:

Jesus Navas (29) – The Spanish winger was a bright spark for City when he came on at half-time, completing 97% of his passes and constantly probing down the right hand side as the away team looked to get back into the game.

Pablo Zabaleta (7) – It was always a risk not starting the club captain away from home and City fans will be left wondering whether they would have conceded if the Argentine had been on the pitch from the off. Looked assured as ever when he come on, completing all of his passes.

Edin Dzeko (11) – Struggled to make an impact when he entered the field of play.