On This Day (19th December 2009): Goals, drama and sackings as Sunderland lose at Eastlands!

Seven goals, snow, drama and a manager got sacked after the game — just another normal day in the life of a Sunderland supporter on the road!

There was no finer display than this early Christmas blockbuster in mid-December 2009, when Manchester City finally defeated a tenacious Sunderland in what would be Mark Hughes’ farewell game at the City of Manchester Stadium. Rumours circulated prior to the game that this would be Hughes’ final game in command, and given how they defended at times in this game, it was no surprise that he was dismissed. Sunderland came into this game in a slump, with their form completely gone. Despite several injuries, Steve Bruce’s team still had lot of ability and potential in them, but they were incredibly flaky and fallible, and vulnerable at the back where it didn’t take them long to concede.

After only four minutes, City’s excellent attacking players broke through the stretched defence line, and Roque Santa Cruz tapped in from a mere five yards out. Carlos Tevez added a penalty after Santa Cruz played a nice one-two with Craig Bellamy, who was then brought down by Sunderland defender Nyron Nosworthy. Tevez’s wild celebration was only equalled by both teams’ terrible defence. Even though our defence was not very strong, with Nosworthy, Turner, and McCartney on display, City had spent millions on players such as Kolo Toure.

Set pieces and crosses into the box appeared to be Bruce’s men’s path back into the game, with Andy Reid’s sumptuous cross laying one on the plate for John Mensah to equalise before City’s complete failure to clear their lines in their own box allowed Jordan Henderson to hit a pile driver past Shay Given. After all of our hard work, we appeared absolutely depleted at the back, with their brittle nature haunting them once more as Bellamy scored a third and the game’s fifth, all within 35 minutes. Our inability to defend our box bit us more than once in this game, with City scoring again in the second half after we brought ourselves level again. through an excellent Kenwyne Jones header from Henderson’s cross.

Santa Cruz knocked home a fourth after Barry had sent Zabaleta’s angled cross bouncing into the six-yard area and this is where the scoring would eventually end after a chaotic hour (and nine minutes) of football.

There would be more drama however when Michael Turner was sent off in what appeared to be a fairly soft dismissal after catching Gareth Barry with an elbow in stoppage time.

Ultimately, this game summarised the good and bad of both teams where their inability to defend leads (or generally) would haunt their seasons. City sacked Mark Hughes in the aftermath of this game in what was the most unsurprising dismissal of a manager.

The Welshman even waved goodbye at full time knowing his time was up at Manchester as the owner upped the ante by replacing him with once-linked Sunderland manager Roberto Mancini.

As for Steve Bruce, things were getting worse as it was now five games without a win but this barren run was only going to continue long into the New Year where injuries and loss of form would severely impact the side.

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