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| Raheem Sterling celebrates after his shot deflects off Vito Mannone and in to the net |
THIS is what happens when the Premier League’s most expensive attack comes up against the worst defence.
Long-suffering Sunderland fans have become accustomed to opponents wreaking havoc at the Stadium of Light.
And Manchester City duly obliged, racing into a four goal lead inside 36 minutes and coming desperately close to a fifth four minutes later.
It was carnage as rampant City threatened to score whenever they poured forward.
They had unveiled their controversial “Night Rising” third kit, described as ghost green by the suppliers, but it was sorry Sunderland who wore a haunted look long before the final whistle.
The introduction of Lee Cattermole after the break did stem the tidal wave.
By then, damage limitation was their sole agenda after Sergio Aguero, Kevin De Bruyne, an own goal and Raheem Sterling had sealed victory in a 26 minute blitz.
Ola Toivonen headed an 83rd minute consolation and Fabio Borini should have scored too but with the result in the bag, cruising City did little more than go through the motions.
There’s an alarming pattern emerging for Dick Advocaat’s side who have now conceded 17 first half goals this season with even League Two side Exeter helping themselves to three in the previous round.
And yet bizarrely until City notched up their third, Sunderland could feel hard done by having had one goal disallowed, conceded a controversial penalty and on one occasion, been denied by the brilliance of keeper Willy Cabellero.
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| Kevin De Bruyne scored his second goal for Manchester City in the victory |
But such details become irrelevant when a self-destructive streak runs through the team _ and there’s no-one quite like City to exploit any defensive frailties.Aguero had already gone close twice when he fired the visitors into a tenth minute lead from the penalty spot after Patrick Van Aanholt had clattered into Jesus Navas.
Sunderland felt the decision was harsh and they were further aggrieved six minutes later when a Borini’s goal was ruled out with match official Roger East claiming he had pushed Nicolas Otamendi, who had gone down rather easily.
Then in the 25th minute, Toivonen met debutant DeAndre Yedlin’s cross with a bullet header which Cabellero acrobatically tipped over the bar. That was as good as it got for Sunderland as City opened the floodgates to devastating effect.
Vito Mannone was the hero of the Black Cats’ League Cup run two seasons ago when these sides met at Wembley but he endured a nightmare last night, gifting the visitors their next two goals.
Moments after Toivonen’s near-miss, Mannone’s positioning was atrocious as £55m De Bruyne - outstanding throughout - beat him at his near post with his second goal in four days after swapping passes with Sterling.
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| Fabio Borini reacts after he had a goal disallowed for Sunderland |
It got no better for the hapless Italian when he pushed Barcary Sagna’s cross into the path of Sterling. His shot thudded off the foot of the post, stuck Mannone’s back and rolled into the net.
If that was an own goal, Sterling did not have to wait too long to get his name on the scoresheet.Controlling De Bruyne’s slide-rule pass, he had time to pick his spot curling a right foot effort into the net.
The Black Cats’ “defence” parted again in the 41st minute as Aguero raced through but after rounding Mannone, he saw his shot blocked on the line by Seb Coates and hacked clear by Yedlin.
Sunderland (4-2-3-1): Mannone; Yedlin, O’Shea, Coates, Yedlin; M’Vila, Rodwell (Cattermole 46; Lens, Toivonen, Johnson; Borini. Subs: Pantilimon, Brown, Cattermole, Larsson, Gomez, Defoe, Fletcher.
Manchester City (4-2-3-1): Caballero; Sagna, Demichelis, Otamendi, Kolarov; Toure (Evans 88), Fernando; Navas (Roberts 55), De Bruyne, Sterling; Aguero (Garcia 73). Subs: Wright, Fernandinho, Maffeo, Barker.
Referee: Roger East.
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