Sunderland

Sunderland's players apologised to the club's fans who travelled to Southampton to watch the Black Cats end up on the wrong end of an 8-0 thrashing with a wonderful gesture on Tuesday, offering full ticket refunds.

The club released a statement via its official website, where captain John O'Shea thanked the fans for not walking out on their team during the match:

We win and lose as a team, players, staff and fans, however we wanted to acknowledge and thank the supporters who travelled such a long way to give us their backing and despite everything, stayed with us until the final whistle.

Fans can claim their refunds by contacting the club before November 5, and all unclaimed refunds will be donated to Grace House, a Sunderland-based children's charity.

Former Premier League star Robbie Savage previously suggested the club take action after the humiliating defeat, as shared by BBC 606:

“Sunderland players have offered to refund supporters the cost of their tickets.”

Been listening to @RobbieSavage8? pic.twitter.com/d7aIxTHQcV

— BBC 606 (@bbc606) October 21, 2014

Southampton came into Saturday's match after an impressive opening month that saw new manager Ronald Koeman nab the manager of the month award, but few were expecting the goal-fest Saints served up at St. Mary's.

Graziano Pelle scored twice and Dusan Tadic handed out four assists, allowing Southampton to cruise to a massive win after Santiago Vergini gave them the lead with an own goal.

Manager Gus Poyet didn't mince his words after the final whistle, via BBC Sport:

Gus Poyet on 8-0 defeat: "It's the most embarrassing time I've had on a football pitch." http://t.co/bv65TFl3vO pic.twitter.com/jdTnKLGjen

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) October 19, 2014

ESPN FC's Craig Burley couldn't help himself after he heard the news fans would now be receiving a refund:

https://twitter.com/CBurleyESPN/status/524562620406562816

The club's official statement shared how fans can claim their refund:

Anyone wishing to claim a refund should contact the club before 5pm on Wednesday 5th November. 

Supporters are kindly asked to return their match ticket either in person at the Stadium of Light ticket office or by post: SAFC (Refunds), PO Box 165, Sunderland, SR5 1WF. Supporters must enclose name and address details, along with their customer number.

After the November 5 deadline, the outstanding money not claimed by supporters will be given to Grace House. 

While it's a nice gesture from the players, the traveling fans will still feel hard-done by. Most of them had to travel some 640 miles to the South Coast of England and back, and travel costs will not be covered by the refund.

Sunderland's players are clearly still embarrassed at what happened over the weekend, and the Black Cats will attempt to rebound when they host Arsenal on Saturday.

Follow @ReverschPass

Liverpool defender Sebastian Coates completed a loan switch to Sunderland on Monday, heading to the Stadium Light for the duration of the 2014/15 campaign.    

Liverpool’s official Twitter account revealed the news:

The Uruguay international has found chances few and far between at Anfield since joining the Reds in 2011, making just 24 appearances and scoring two goals, per BBC Sport.

New acquisitions this summer have seen Coates slip even further down Liverpool’s defensive pecking order, but that isn’t likely to be a problem with Sunderland.

Manager Gus Poyet has long been an admirer of Coates, and with the Black Cats’ back line looking in need of a bit of solidity, the 23-year-old could prove to be a cornerstone in their 2014/15 campaign.

The club released a statement via their official website confirming the deal, with Coates making up Sunderland’s eighth signing of the transfer window:

“Defender Sebastian Coates has joined Sunderland on a season-long loan from Liverpool. The 23-year-old Uruguay international is the Black Cats’ eighth summer signing.”

Coates was sent back on loan to the team that raised him as a youth last season, Nacional, but a knee injury kept him from making an impact in the side.

While the Uruguayan is now back to full fitness, he’s a long way from competing for a place in Liverpool’s starting line-up, meaning that a switch to the Stadium of Light appears rather logical.

He certainly looks happy to be wearing the red and white shirt, too, as Sunderland AFC revealed via Twitter:

The Black Cats face a tough test against Tottenham Hotspur when the Premier League returns on Sept. 13, and Coates will certainly have his work cut out keeping Spurs’ electric forwards quiet.

As for Liverpool, Daniel Agger and Coates’ exits mean that the Reds’ back line is suddenly looking a little short, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see Brendan Rodgers back in the market for a centre-back come January.

Former England international Jack Rodwell always looked likely to leave Manchester City during the summer of 2014, and following the arrival of Chelsea legend Frank Lampard on a loan deal, Sunderland were given the green light to make a move for the 23-year-old midfielder.

On Tuesday, the two parties came to an agreement, as announced by Sunderland's official Twitter:

Manchester City also confirmed the deal:

Rodwell moved to the Etihad Stadium in 2012 after showing much promise in his final two seasons with Everton. Widely regarded as one of England's brightest talents, the powerful midfielder was expected to challenge for playing time in the centre of the pitch right away.

A series of injuries hindered his development, however, and the duo of Yaya Toure and Fernandinho soon established an excellent central pairing, pushing Rodwell to the bench.

He was given only one Premier League start in 2013-14, as per WhoScored.com, and with his career on the line, a transfer move in search of more consistent playing time seemed to be the only option.

Sunderland have secured a fine talent, beating Southampton and Napoli in the process, according to the Daily Star's Harry Pratt. ITV's Kristan Heneage offered analysis of Rodwell joining the Black Cats:

Rodwell's quality is undeniable, and the aforementioned injuries are the one thing currently slowing his career. Capable of shielding a defence with excellent physicality and contributing further up the pitch with relative ease, the former Everton midfielder should immediately become an integral part of Gus Poyet's starting XI.

The list of talented youngsters who had their careers derailed by injuries is a long one, but Rodwell wouldn't be the first to overcome the injury bug. A change of scenery could do wonders for his development and maybe even see him return to the England national team.

Poyet told reporters Sunderland were close to signing a number of players following their last friendly in Portugal, adding there would be some surprises: "There are plenty of things going on and I’m looking forward to things happening in the next few days, so it’s all positive. I think we have a great chance (of signing players), a great chance. People are going to be surprised, which is great. It’s all positive."

The Black Cats are hoping to improve on their performances in the 2013-14 season, which saw the club fight against relegation for most of the campaign. Adding a player with star potential, like Rodwell, will go a long way in avoiding a similar fate in 2014-15.

Sunderland are expected to continue adding to the squad during the remainder of the transfer window, but in Rodwell, they may have just made their marquee signing of 2014. If the midfielder can stay injury free, he should become the anchor of the Black Cats midfield very quickly.

A few short weeks ago, it looked like Sunderland's time was up. After the defeat to Everton on April 12, they were seven points from safety with just six games remaining, but it was perhaps the manner of their defeats that was the most dispiriting.

Sunderland had picked up a solitary point in eight games, shipping 18 goals in the process that included a 5-1 thrashing at Spurs and a 4-1 hosing at Arsenal. All looked lost. Indeed, Gus Poyet was already speaking like a man who had accepted their fate, saying after the Tottenham defeat, as quoted by the Daily Mirror:

I'm very honest and I know where I am. If you look at the table and the games we have got left to win, we need a miracle. We need something unique. A shock. I cannot see it coming...

As soon as we go forward we cannot defend, we cannot make decisions. We cannot go one vs one. We cannot pass the ball, we cannot get a shot on target. There are so many things that we cannot do. And there is no place to hide.

Then came that remarkable draw at Manchester City, when in truth the favourites for the title were a little lucky to escape with a point, relying on a late equaliser to cancel out Connor Wickham's brace.

At that point it still looked unlikely they would survive and may have left their fans cursing that they could not come up with more performances like that over the season. Cruel hope was dangled, but they followed it up with an even more remarkable result at Chelsea.

However, that was perhaps not the most significant result of recent weeks. Sunderland's record in big games this season has been uncommonly, even illogically, good. They have taken four points from City, three from Chelsea (and only just lost the other game), three from Everton and six from their North East rivals, Newcastle, plus a couple of draws with Southampton for good measure.

They have taken 21 of their current 32 points from teams in the top half of the table.

Compare that with their record against the lower flights, which has seen them win just once against the other teams presently in the bottom six and only twice against sides in the bottom half of the table.

Therefore, one might have feared that the City and Chelsea results were simply examples of their "big game" mentality shining through. But then they steamrolled a Cardiff side that really does look destined for the Championship, and suddenly a couple of surprise good results has turned them into favourites to stay up.

They have a game in hand on those around them, and while one of them is against Manchester United and Ryan Giggs' feelgood factor, the other two are at home to West Brom and Swansea. They will probably only need one win to survive, given Norwich's final two games (against Chelsea and Arsenal). Plus, their superior goal difference is basically worth an extra point at this stage of the season.

So what has Poyet changed? In truth, not a huge amount. The formation is basically the same as it was, with the addition of Connor Wickham, a player with only a few Premier League goals to his name before his recall from loan, his inclusion being something of a Hail Mary pass from Poyet.

Still, this particular Hail Mary has worked out beautifully, with Wickham scoring four goals in the last three games, doubling Jozy Altidore's tally for the whole season.

Indeed, Poyet more or less admitted this week that he hadn't done much to the side other than recall Wickham. He said in The Guardian:

We've done everything and we've done nothing. We talk about miracles but this team needed a shock and Connor has provided it. Connor's changing everything. It's the most strange, incredible and unexpected season I've experienced in my entire career.

It's just possible that the apparent "giving up" has released some of the pressure on Sunderland and has allowed them to play with a little more freedom, the expectation of survival lifted slightly. Such apparently genuine resignation a few weeks ago could not have been an intentional motivational tactic, but Sunderland fans will not care; whatever the intention was, it's working.

With that in mind, it will be interesting to see how they perform now that there is some expectation on them in the last three games. For Sunderland, being the underdogs might be the best motivation of all.

Luis Suarez may lead the Premier League goalscoring charts this term, but it was a young English striker who stole the headlines on Sunday. 

Connor Wickham's goal count this season may pale into insignificance in the face of Suarez's 30 strikes, but the former Ipswich man's contribution may prove to be just as important as the Uruguayan's come May. 

Position	Name	Team	Goals
1.	Luis Suarez	Liverpool	30
2.	Daniel Sturridge	Liverpool	20
3.	Yaya Toure	Manchester City	19
4.	Wayne Rooney	Manchester United	17
5.	Sergio Aguero	Manchester City	16
6.	Wilfried Bony	Swansea City	15
7.	Jay Rodriguez	Southampton	15
8.	Olivier Giroud	Arsenal	14
9.	Eden Hazard	Chelsea	14
10.	Steven Gerrard	Liverpool	13

Wickham plundered another two today as Sunderland climbed out of the relegation zone with a 4-0 victory over Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's Cardiff City side. That's seven points from the last nine for the Black Cats, a feat all the more impressive when it is considered that four of those points came against Chelsea and Manchester City. 

And the driving force behind Sunderland's survival fight has been the formerly-maligned Wickham. Those five goals in his last three matches may come to mean just as much to Wearside as Suarez's 30 do on the Mersey. 

The Daily Telegraph's Luke Edwards recently considered just how Gus Poyet has brought the best out of an £8 million man that Paolo di Canio and Steve Bruce simply could not. 

Paolo Di Canio, the former Sunderland manager, described him as a “playboy model” who needed a “slap in the face” to get the best out of him, but perhaps all Connor Wickham really needed was a decent run in the side.

Wickham is proving himself to be a man for the big occasion, seemingly taking Sunderland's struggle by the scruff of the neck. Against Cardiff, the Black Cats' fellow strugglers, it was Wickham's head that provided those valuable three points. The 6'3" man opened the scoring with a nodded effort and continued to make his presence felt as he won the penalty that Fabio Borini dispatched to send Sunderland clear. 

Emanuele Giaccherini slotted home a third before Wickham headed home his second to complete the rout. 

He may have come to the party mighty late, but Wickham will be worthy of consideration for a World Cup place if Roy Hodgson takes players to Brazil based purely upon their form. 

A man who knows a thing or two about goalscoring, Michael Owen was certainly ebullient about Wickham's form on Twitter.

Suarez has notched 30 strikes in the league this season, but he could not find a way past Jose Mourinho's Chelsea side today. Nevertheless, the Uruguayan remains ten goals clear of his teammate, Daniel Sturridge, on 30 goals. 

Brendan Rodgers accused Mourinho of negative tactics, as reported by Liam Twomey of Goal.com.

We just couldn't find the breakthrough - there were probably two buses parked today, never mind one

But those tactics were perfectly adequate to subdue Suarez, who has otherwise been unstoppable this term. 

Yaya Toure is another player who has enjoyed a storming campaign. The Ivorian was never known for his goalscoring exploits during his spell at Barcelona, but the Etihad seems to have brought out the best in Toure. 

And he was on strike again today, notching his 19th of the season. Toure had missed the West Bromwich Albion and Sunderland encounters through injury, but he returned with a bang, storming into the Crystal Palace penalty area before curling a left footed shot past Julian Speroni. 

Over in the red half of Manchester, Wayne Rooney has gone some way to reaffirming his status as England's top striker with a brace of goals against Norwich City. Rooney notched a penalty and a curling effort either side of half-time as Ryan Giggs enjoyed an imperious victory in his first game in charge at Old Trafford.

Not to miss out on the party, Juan Mata grabbed two goals of his own in a 4-0 victory.

Rooney moves to 17 goals, but still remains three adrift of his probable World Cup strike partner, Daniel Sturridge. But with Manchester United still to face Sunderland, Hull City and Southampton, Rooney remains an outside shot to reel in the rejuvenated Liverpool frontman.  

On Thursday evening, news emerged that Sunderland had been fined by both the Premier League and the Football League for fielding an ineligible player in five games, across two competitions, at the start of the season.

The error was found, and the fine levied, back in December—with it taking nearly four months for the Daily Mail to uncover the story and make it public.

The Premier League (and Football League) cannot continue to keep these decisions private. It only creates suspicion of underhand discussions and back-room deal-striking (which, it must be stressed, almost certainly is not going on), and makes fans wonder what other big judgements have been kept from them.

The Sunderland case seems, from a distance at least, remarkably complicated, and perhaps that is why the bodies involved decided it would be best not to make the details, and decision, public.

First of all, the basic facts: At the end of the 2012-13 season, Sunderland loaned forward Ji Dong-Won to German side FC Augsburg for the remainder of the season. Ji then returned to the Stadium of Light for the start of the 2013-14 campaign, before again returning to Augsburg in January for the remainder of the term—after another Bundesliga side, Borussia Dortmund, had reached an agreement to sign him in the upcoming summer.

During the period between his two spells at Augsburg, Ji appeared in four Sunderland league games and one cup game—”helping” his side acquire one point (in a draw with Sunderland) during that spell, while they also knocked MK Dons out of the Capital One Cup.

However, it transpired that Ji had never actually received his international clearance upon returning from Augsburg, the official FIFA paperwork that he technically required in order for a professional to represent any new club.

Even though Ji was a Sunderland employee all along, the club needed to receive new clearance following his first Augsburg spell, something that was not done until he had already appeared in a number of games.

According to a report by Louise Taylor in The Guardian:

They did not realise they needed to seek international clearance for a second time when he returned to England. He should not have been involved in any matches before the club received written confirmation from the German Football Association.

The issue was only discovered and reported at the start of October—but in effect Ji was technically ineligible for every game he played in (mostly as a a substitute) during the early part of the season.

In a literal sense, at least, the club were in contravention of FIFA regulation B.14.5, which is covered in clause U.11 in the Premier League handbook:

An application to register a player who last played for a club affiliated to a national association other than the Football Association shall be accompanied by written confirmation from the Football Association that an international registration transfer certificate has been issued in respect of the player.

If that international registration transfer certificate has not been issued, and FA confirmation not received, then that leaves the offending party open to punishment under FA rule 6.9, “Fielding an Ineligible Player."

This clause dictates that clubs can be fined and deducted points for an infraction, although either (or both) can be waived when it is the International Transfer Certificate that is the issue:

Any club found to have played an ineligible player in a match shall have any points gained from that match deducted from its record and have levied upon it a fine.

The company may vary this decision in respect of the points gained only in circumstances where the ineligibility is due to the failure to obtain an International Transfer Certificate or where the ineligibility is related to the player’s status only.

The board may also order that such match be replayed on such terms as are decided by the board which may also levy penalty points against the club in default.

That seems to be the wrinkle that has allowed Sunderland to avoid a points deduction. Technically, Ji may have been ineligible when he took the field for Sunderland last year, but ultimately this was only due to an administrative oversight—in all other respects he was fully available for the club that pays his wages.

However, the fact that the person responsible for such paperwork, club secretary Liz Coley, left Sunderland after the error was discovered suggests that it was an oversight on their part, not Augsburg’s.

Then again, the BBC claims from “club sources” that Coley’s departure was not linked to the farrago.

Nevertheless, MK Dons were reportedly “furious” at the FA for not forcing Sunderland to replay their Capital One Cup tie, as has been the case in past instances of similar matters. But this is not really the same as the infamous incident involving West Ham and Emmanuel Omoyinmi, for example, who was cup-tied when he represented the Hammers in 1999.

Problematically, Sunderland had already beaten Peterborough in the next round by the time the error was discovered and reported, creating a huge headache if the Football League decided the tie needed to be repeated.

Would both MK Dons and Peterborough be reinstated until the two ties could be replayed? If so when would those games be scheduled? Or would Sunderland just be kicked out of the competition and the two lower-league sides allowed to play for their vacated spot in the next round?

Any decision to that effect would have required a public explanation—only the decision they ultimately chose (conveniently) avoided that examination.

It is hard to avoid the suspicion that, as well as it being the path of least resistance, that is why they ultimately went for it.

Nevertheless, the FA directors who made the final decision must have been sweating profusely as Sunderland went on to reach the final of the competition, and even go 1-0 up against Manchester City at Wembley.

Fortunately for them, City came back to claim the trophy. One can only speculate at the backlash had this story come out after the Black Cats lifted their first piece of silverware in 41 years.

Perhaps it is no coincidence that someone has leaked the story now, at the point where few now realistically expect Sunderland to stay in the Premier League. Had they been nearer the cut and thrust surrounding 17th place with six games to go, it is not difficult to predict the outcry we might have heard from those teams around them.

It would have been similar to the drama that followed West Ham’s use of Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano—a flouting of rules that ultimately left the clubs to pay a huge amount of compensation to Sheffield United, who went down in their place in 2007.

That was a very different situation. It must be stressed (again) that Sunderland’s mistake was a minor clerical one and had no tangible effect on sporting matters.

It's the equivalent of a golfer incorrectly signing his scorecard after a round.

Then again, some might justifiably point out that rules are there for a reason (golfers are disqualified for such mistakes)—and that any infraction should be punished, if nothing else as a reminder to other clubs that keeping their house in order is vitally important.

The issue, of course, is that we do not even know if other clubs have previously been punished for similar mistakes. If the Premier League and Football League agree to keep these decisions private, then we only discover the ones that are leaked to the press for one reason or another.

In light of everything, the Premier League and Football League's joint decision to only fine Sunderland is probably the correct one.

Ji might not have had the correct paperwork to represent Sunderland, but in every other respect he qualified to represent his employers in the games he played—the integrity of the competition was not influenced by his presence.

This was an administrative oversight, not a sporting infraction, and as such a fine fits the bill. But by keeping the decision silent, the FA created the impression that they were sweeping the issue under the carpet, or that they felt unable to explain it adequately to the wider public.

That was misguided. If we demand more transparency and democracy from FIFA over their governing of the world game, then we should expect the same from the Premier League and Football League.

Unless there are legal or ethical reasons, in future all such decisions should be made public the day they are enforced.

Updates from Friday, April 4

Ed Aarons of The Guardian has the latest on Sunderland:

Original Text

Sunderland's season has gone from bad to worse after it emerged that Ji Dong-Won was allowed to play for the club in four games whilst ineligible.  

Ben Smith of the BBC noted that the club has escaped a points deduction but has already paid a Premier League fine:

Sky Sports also reports that the matter is now closed.

Neil Ashton of the Daily Mail notes that club secretary Liz Coley was dismissed by owner Ellis Short after the error came to light.

Ji participated in Premier League games against Fulham, Southampton and Crystal Palace in August, and against Manchester United in October. He also helped the Black Cats to a 4-2 win over MK Dons in the early rounds of the Capital One Cup in August, a competition that Gus Poyet's side eventually finished as runners-up.

Knowing that they were then in breach of rule B14.5 and U11, per Ashton, Sunderland immediately confessed to the Premier League and were fined in December. However, that has not satisfied MK Dons, who are understood to be furious that Sunderland were not thrown out of the competition once the error was uncovered.

The South Korean had been sent on loan to German outfit Augsburg last season. Upon his return, Sunderland had to wait for international clearance, but this never came, unbeknown to then-manager Paolo Di Canio.

It wasn't until after the game against Manchester United on Oct. 5, 2013, that the error eventually came to light, but in such instances the Premier League sanctions are clear, per Ashton:

Any club found to have played an ineligible player in a match shall have any points gained from that match deducted from its record and have levied upon it a fine.

The company may vary this decision in respect of the points gained only in circumstances where the ineligibility is due to the failure to obtain an International Transfer Certificate or where the ineligibility is related to the player’s status only. 

The board may also order that such match be replayed on such terms as are decided by the board which may also levy penalty points against the club in default.

That no points have been deducted and no games have needed to be replayed may not sit at all well with all the Premier League's other member clubs.

On the face of it, it appears that the Premier League has "hushed up" the entire incident, and it should therefore also be held accountable.

After enduring such a disastrous season to this point, Sunderland will be hoping that their quick admittance of guilt has saved them from any further punishment.

Following the disappointment of defeat in both domestic cups over the past fortnight, Gus Poyet's Sunderland have the perfect opportunity to bounce back by climbing out of the Premier League's bottom three with victory over fellow strugglers Crystal Palace—it's essential that they grasp their chance with both hands.

Since Poyet's appointment, there is no doubt that Sunderland have improved. Prior to the Uruguayan's arrival, the Black Cats were cut adrift from safety and looked certainties for the drop; however, the former Brighton boss has installed belief amongst his side and they now have a genuine chance of survival.

Nevertheless, with games running out it is absolutely vital that they can climb out of the relegation zone as quickly as possible; a win on Saturday would almost certainly ensure that they do.

16th	Crystal Palace	28 played	27 Points	- 16 GD
17th	West Brom	28 Played	25 points	- 11 GD
18th	Cardiff City	29 Played	25 points	- 28 GD
19th	Sunderland	26 Played	24 points	- 16 GD

Due to their cup commitments, as well as February's postponed match at Manchester City, the Black Cats are now up to three games behind their relegation rivals. Whilst it does mean that they've got more points to play for, the games will come thick and fast and a home tie against Crystal Palace is one which fans will expect their side to win.

In 19 games under Poyet's management, Sunderland have picked up an acceptable 23 points. Whilst this isn't a phenomenal return, a seasonal average of 46 points would be more than enough to retain Premier League status and if the Black Cats can continue this form throughout their final dozen matches then they will be plying their trade as a top-flight club again next year.

According to the Sunderland Echo's Graeme Anderson, the 46-year-old coach has set his players the target of five wins during those final 12 matches—one could only assume he has pinpointed Saturday's contest as one of them.

Should Sunderland claim the spoils on Saturday then they will leapfrog Tony Pulis' men on goal difference. With West Brom and Cardiff facing tough away trips, to Swansea and Everton respectively, the Wearsiders could climb to 16th in the table. If they could then follow that up with a win at Carrow Road next week then Premier League survival would look a very likely outcome indeed.

However, including those recent cup exits, Sunderland's only win in five matches came at home to Southampton in the FA Cup. Since the emphatic 3-0 derby day demolition of Newcastle on February 1, the Black Cats have lost to Hull and Arsenal in the league and will be desperate to get back to winning ways here.

The next few weeks will be pivotal to the Wearsiders' survival bid and Poyet will be looking for points over performance. He will have been proud of his side's display at Wembley but, with attentions turned to the league, it is now a business where results are king. As long as Sunderland retain their Premier League status, nobody will care how they achieve it.

Like Sunderland, Crystal Palace have seen drastic improvements under their new manager; Tony Pulis has worked wonders with the Eagles, resurrecting them from the dead to their current position of 16th.

However, Palace have still only picked up seven points on the road this term and if they are going to stay up then it will be a result of their form at Selhurst Park only.

At this stage of the season, momentum is key—particularly at the bottom. After recent disappointments, the Black Cats will be feeling low on confidence but if they can give themselves a timely boost by winning here then their chances of survival will be strong.

If they lose, then the alarm bells will surely be ringing around the Stadium of Light.

Can Sunderland beat the drop? Post your thoughts below.

On paper, Sunday’s Capital One Cup final was not exactly a competitive matchup. At No. 4, Manchester City were the heavy favorites, and Sunderland, hovering in relegation territory at the bottom of the Premier League, were given little chance.

The Black Cats have played some of their best soccer this season at the Capital One Cup, defeating No. 1 Chelsea in their quarterfinal match in December, but have otherwise had a dismal 6-6-14 season.

Though the Blues ultimately took home the trophy with a 3-1 win, City were made to work for it in a match that was expected to be easily theirs.

Here are some of the highlight moments from the match.

10 min: The opening minutes of the game featured slightly nervy play, with both teams’ drives easily cleared, but Sunderland broke through first, shocking City and the crowd with a goal at the 10-minute mark.

Fabio Borini outpaced Martin Demichelis and easily held off Vincent Kompany to find the back of the net and put Sunderland in the lead.

For much of the early going, Sunderland were the more aggressive team, while City seemed content to react and looked out of sync from the start. On the Borini goal, Demichelis and Kompany were positioned entirely too passively, allowing the Italian to find an opening and capitalize.

14 min: Sunderland continued to be the aggressor, with Borini taking another shot from outside the box. A minute later, Wes Brown put the Black Cats on the attack again, heading a corner kick from Sebastian Larsson wide.

20 min-halftime: City reasserted their dominance, controlling play and moving the ball into the Sunderland half to keep pressure on the Black Cats’ defense. Still trailing by a goal, the Blues failed to come up with anything before the 45-minute mark. Despite the increased attack, City were still thoroughly disengaged. The Guardian’s Ian McCourt wrote, “Toure is limping and moping around the pitch like a teenager has been told he can’t go out on a Friday night with his mates.”

Despite their attitude (and the score), the Blues still controlled the first half of the game. 

While the stats tilted in City’s favor, Sunderland’s lead at halftime was the story of the match. The Blues’ play was not remotely close to their highest level through the first 45 minutes, but the Black Cats stepped up and seized the moment.

Martin Lipton, via The Mirror, said at halftime:

Hands up, who saw that coming (not including the 40-odd thousand wearing red and white here at Wembley)? Nobody could argue Sunderland not value for their lead, and a terrific finish by Borini. Poyet has out-thought Pellegrini so far, with the Black Cats brilliantly resilient and countering with genuine conviction.

55-56 mins: Just as soon as it started for Sunderland, it all came crashing down. City came out of the gates flying, going on the attack early and scoring two goals in as many minutes to take the lead. Yaya Toure was the first to score, netting the tying goal from 25 yards out with the help of Pablo Zabaleta.

Barely a minute later, Samir Nasri put the Blues in the lead. Sunderland were disorganized following the kick-off, giving the City frontline too much space to move forward, and a perfectly placed cross from Aleksandar Kolarov set up Nasri’s curling goal into the corner of the net.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkFbZXu0aRk

Though the second half had only just begun, the momentum had entirely swung in City’s favor, and the dominant squad were in prime position to take home the title after an incredible second-half resurgence.

 

66-70 min: Despite a deflating shift in the score, Sunderland hung tough, continuing to play as aggressively as they had during the first half. A free-kick and subsequent corner put the Black Cats in scoring position in front of the City goal, and while the Blues managed to clear both, Sunderland refused to bow down.

 

90 min: Both teams continued to play aggressively through the rest of regulation, with Sunderland coming close to leveling the score on multiple occasions, but to no avail. Whatever hope the Black Cats had was snuffed out in the final minute before stoppage time with a goal from Jesus Navas.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vu3b2odt6ds

Navas, who came in at halftime for Sergio Aguero, flanked a 5-on-2 breakaway counterattack on the Sunderland half. An assist from Toure set Navas up for the final goal of the game. 

After a stunning first half, Sunderland let up ever so slightly in the second, and with that inch, City went a mile. Clearly the more talented team, the Blues stormed back to show why they are some of the best, and the trophy went to the more deserving team on Sunday.

That said, Sunderland exhibited an impressive performance to make City earn the title, and the Black Cats can take away a lot of positives from today’s final.

Sunderland will travel to Wembley Stadium this Sunday to take on Manchester City in the 2014 Capital One Cup Final, and saying they'll be going into the tie as underdogs would be an understatement. The Citizens are hungry for silverware and will be boosted by the return of top striker Sergio Aguero, per Sky Sports:

The Black Cats will have their work cut out for them if they want to beat City, but as we saw in last year's FA Cup Final, nothing is impossible. Wigan Athletic took the game right to the favourites and came away with a shocking win.

Sunderland are not Wigan, and a similar approach to Sunday's tie might have a disastrous result, but the Cats are going into this game having beaten City in two out of their last three meetings and should feel confident they can pull off the upset. Here are the biggest keys to a Sunderland win.

Limit space in the final third

In Alvaro Negredo and Aguero, City boast arguably the best attacking duo in the entire Premier League. The two have a combined 38 goals already this season and will be looking to add to their tally on Sunday. Stopping one of them is hard enough, but Whoscored.com believe the two might start alongside.

Their biggest strength lies in their movement skills, both off and on the ball, and if Sunderland are to have any hope of containing this formidable duo, they will have to find a way to stop them from running through the defense.

Gus Poyet needs to employ a compact defense and force the Citizens to play the ball wide. By keeping play out on the wings, Sunderland can neutralise City's biggest goalscoring threats and focus on defending the countless crosses David Silva and Samir Nasri will no doubt fire into the box.

The right Adam Johnson needs to show up

Manchester City are a ball-heavy team, and chances are they will dominate possession on Sunday, opening up opportunities for Sunderland on the counter. Chances will not come easy to the Cats, and if they are to beat City, they will have to make the most of them. That's where Johnson comes into play.

When the former City midfielder is on, his pace and skills in distributing the ball make him the ideal pivot when running the counter. He just needs to show up. He can be incredibly inconsistent and will disappear at times, something Sunderland cannot afford to happen this Sunday.

Johnson has the skill set to make life hard on the Citizens and play a decisive role in this game. Whether he comes through for the Black Cats will be up to him.

Vito Mannone needs to display his short memory

When it comes to football, every upset starts with a valiant effort by the underdog's goalkeeper.

Mannone seems to be in perfect position to put fort such an effort, having enjoyed a breakout campaign with Sunderland. Unfortunately, his last performance against Arsenal was one of the worst of his season, with the Italian stopper conceding four times.

'Keepers will have bad games. It happens to the best of them. But every good 'keeper needs to have a short memory—the ability to completely forget what just happened and focus on the next game. By allowing a bad performance to find a way into your head, you're inviting doubt to creep in.

Mannone is having a great season and has arguably been Sunderland's most valuable player. If the Black Cats are to have any chance of beating City, their Italian 'keeper will be key.