However, it's also in the middle of the congested festive period, where managers are forced to try to juggle their lineups to keep people fresh. Roberto Mancini did just that, resting Silva, Aguero, and Richards. Sunderland knew they weren't facing the classic City side, and looked to take advantage.
Sunderland got one of the best chances of the match almost right off the bat. Nicklas Bendtner charged down the pitch on a counter on the 3rd minute, earning himself a one on one with Joe Hart. However, the England 'keeper made a great play, forcing the Sunderland striker to angle wide then taking to the ground to stop his shot. The Sunderland counter attack would be the pattern for the day.
Man City's best chances of the half mostly came in a period from about the 30th-35th minute, and were pretty much all fashioned by Edin Dzeko. He forced the Sunderland 'keeper into a great save on 33 minutes, and hit the bar in the 35th. Adam Johnson also beat the 'keeper in the 33rd, only to see his shot cleared off the line. The teams went to the locker rooms still scoreless.
After the lackluster first half, Roberto Mancini decided to make some changes, knowing what was on the line. Sergio Aguero came in to start the second half and both Silva and Richards would enter before the final whistle. While it did seem like they helped City grab even more control of the game, they still couldn't find the back of the Sunderland net.
They did have have their chances though. In the 79th minute Edin Dzeko again found his way into a golden chance but saw his header just float wide of the corner of the goal. Then in the 87th minute, City looked sure to score as David Silva forced a save from the 'keeper that rebounded right to Micah Richards. However, despite the open net, Richards saw his header clang off the bar.
Sunderland took advantage of City's failures in stoppage time. In the third of three minutes, they found themselves coming up the pitch one last time. Seemingly blocked off in the 18, Sessegnon found a way to dish the ball out to Dong-Won-Ji, who rounded Joe Hart and dropped the ball into the the net to give Sunderland the 1-0 win on the last kick of the game.
The only problem was, Ji was a mile offside and it was missed by everybody, including the linesman that was coming up behind the play. City didn't argue the goal at the time, but I'm sure they were fuming when they saw the replay. However, in the end the blame has to fall on them for not taking their chances on not mopping up Sunderland's counters. A huge miss for City that might end up being a big deal in the title race.
Ji's final kick...(AP Images/Fox Soccer)
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