Yaya Touré 55', Nasri 56', Navas 90' Borini 10'
Capital punishment for Poyet as Pellegrini picks up his first English prize.
Even the most tyrannic of warriors have their wobbles, and just ten minutes into Sunday's showdown at Wembley Stadium, the wraith of Wigan Athletic began to shake the legs of Manuel Pellegrini's superstars. But a sizzling start to the second half saw City's slackers turn goalscoring ghostbusters - and who can say they haven't watched those goals more than once?
The winding roads of the League Cup have been littered with the bones of giants since its emergence in 1960, and Manchester City's mackem challengers had butchered their fair share of beast on their path to Sunday's finale. With Southampton, Chelsea and Manchester United all bearing the wounds of the Black Cat's bite, a second consecutive year of Wembley woe for the blues entered the realm of possibility. However, with the ghoulish memory of Ben Watson's 90th minute header cackling around the minds of Manuel's men, more failure on England's biggest stage was not an option.
Desperate to cast the reality of their relegation fight into the shadows, Poyet's purrers began to flout some of their own attacking threat in the early stages. The pace of Adam Johnson and Fabio Borini characterised the urgency of Sunderland's counter attacking football and swiftly revealed the cracks in Manchester City's back line. Just ten minutes into the game, the ex-City winger floated an inviting ball into Borini who shrugged away the shoulder of Vincent Kompany and drove a fierce effort into the bottom corner of Costel Pantillimon's goal.
(Fabio Borini celebrates Sunderland's surprise opener)
The sea of sky blue that had been rocking the stands prior to kick-off began to calm as crimson fire ignited Wembley stadium. The velocity of Sunderland's attacking play had City's defence staggering and swaying, and even Vincent Kompany was beginning to wipe beads of sweat from his considerable forehead.
The bustling Borini continued to weave in and out of an enervated Manchester City back line, and the Black Cat's appetite for their first piece of silverware in 41 years scratched at the skin of their muscular opponents. The returning Sergio Agüero provided Vito Mannone with a mild amount of friction on his stainless gloves, but the pitter-patter of Sunderland boots continued to rain down on City's 18-yard box up until the half time whistle. If it hadn't have been for an exceptionally timed Vincent Kompany tackle, Fabio Borini's face would have been beaming in the Monday morning newspapers.
Change was imperative, but true to his character, City's Chilean enforcer never allowed a frown to cross his brow. After a few words of wisdom and a plea to not panic, the blues snarled into the faces of their opposing pussy-cats and embarked on their dogged pursuit of an equaliser.
Just ten minutes into the second half, Yaya Touré curled in possibly the finest goal ever seen on Wembley turf. An innocuous five yard pass from Pablo Zabaleta was eyed up by the Ivorian who leaned back and whipped an enchanting 30-yard strike into the top corner of Mannone's net. As the African Player of the Year galloped towards his incredulous admirers, the arena was reminded of City's class, and that the Capital One Cup trophy was certainly within their grasp.
(An carnivorous start to the second half helped the blues on their way to the trophy)
The Black Cats stiffened before the headlights of Manchester City's zealous quest for the lead, and just one minute later, Aleksandar Kolarov's fizzing cross found the right boot of Samir Nasri who half volleyed a lethal effort into the side netting. Two world class finishes cast a mesmerising spell over the skies of Wembley, and Manuel Pellegrini's minions commenced their merciless march over Poyet's fearless felines.
(Samir Nasri gives his side the lead with a stunning effort)
In a frantic attempt to rescue his side's cup challenge, the Uruguayan summoned Scottish striker Steven Fletcher from the bench. Sunderland's chase for an equaliser endured until the dying moments of the fixture, but the substitute wasted two mouthwatering opportunities to force the tie into extra time.
Exposed and exhausted from a series of sprints into the Manchester City penalty area, the Wearsiders watched on as Yaya Touré loped through the centre of midfield and played in Jesus Navas who slotted in City's cup winning goal on the 90 minute mark.
(Jesus Navas ends the tie with a slotted finish)
A valiant Sunderland performance must be commended, and for 55 minutes their speed, appetite and fight eclipsed that of their titanic opponents. A mere tap in may not have seen the blues find second gear in the second half, but the nature of Yaya Touré's equaliser provided his side with a crucial reminder of the class at their disposal. With the Capital One Cup now nestling alongside an ever-growing cabinet of trophies, Manuel Pellegrini can set his sights on that famous quadruple.
Player Ratings
Costel Pantillimon 6 - Looked delighted to be part of the cup winning side and had his manager to thank for keeping him in between the sticks. Was beaten by a delightful finish he could do nothing about, and looked comfortable throughout the game.
Pablo Zabaleta 7 - Won his fair share of crunching tackles and bombed up and down the line with typical relentlessness. His job was made harder by Nasri's defensive incapabilities, but the Argentine was up to the task.
Vincent Kompany 6 - A wobbly performance by the Belgian's exceptionally high standards. Got the wrong side of Borini for Sunderland's opener but redeemed himself somewhat with an excellent tackle on the Italian minutes later.
Martin Demichelis 7 - He'll be blamed for Kompany's mistakes, but in actual fact, everyone's favourite scapegoat had a relatively comfortable afternoon. He's not going to get any faster, but he makes up for it in experience.
Aleksandar Kolarov 7 - Other than Steven Gerrard, it's difficult to think of a player who puts in a better cross than the Serbian. What he lacks in defence he makes up for in attack and his delivery was second to none once again on Sunday afternoon.
Samir Nasri 7.5 - Possibly the most vocal Manchester City player in the build up to the fixture and was evidently desperate to avoid yet another cup upset. Struggled to penetrate Sunderland's rigidity in the first half but put the blues ahead with a thunderous half volley.
Yaya Touré 8 - The man for the big occasion turned up at his second home once again. Commanded City's second half push, scoring an incredible goal and assisting Navas.
Fernandinho 7 - Had the job of manning a packed Sunderland midfield and he did his job terrifically. Sweeped the play up and allowed the men in front of him to pull City back into the tie.
David Silva 7 - Kept the ball well but couldn't affect proceedings as much as he'd have liked to.
Edin Džeko 5 - A disheartening performance from the Bosnian who was awarded a surprise start ahead of Negredo. Lacked service but did nothing to help the blues when they were on the back foot. Work rate questionable once again.
Sergio Agüero 6 - Great to see the Argentine back, but he wasn't fit, and was rightly substituted with thirty minutes to spare.
Substitutes
Jesus Navas 6 - Grabbed himself a memorable goal.
Javi García 6 - Successfully prevented a Sunderland onslaught.
Desperate to cast the reality of their relegation fight into the shadows, Poyet's purrers began to flout some of their own attacking threat in the early stages. The pace of Adam Johnson and Fabio Borini characterised the urgency of Sunderland's counter attacking football and swiftly revealed the cracks in Manchester City's back line. Just ten minutes into the game, the ex-City winger floated an inviting ball into Borini who shrugged away the shoulder of Vincent Kompany and drove a fierce effort into the bottom corner of Costel Pantillimon's goal.
(Fabio Borini celebrates Sunderland's surprise opener)
The sea of sky blue that had been rocking the stands prior to kick-off began to calm as crimson fire ignited Wembley stadium. The velocity of Sunderland's attacking play had City's defence staggering and swaying, and even Vincent Kompany was beginning to wipe beads of sweat from his considerable forehead.
The bustling Borini continued to weave in and out of an enervated Manchester City back line, and the Black Cat's appetite for their first piece of silverware in 41 years scratched at the skin of their muscular opponents. The returning Sergio Agüero provided Vito Mannone with a mild amount of friction on his stainless gloves, but the pitter-patter of Sunderland boots continued to rain down on City's 18-yard box up until the half time whistle. If it hadn't have been for an exceptionally timed Vincent Kompany tackle, Fabio Borini's face would have been beaming in the Monday morning newspapers.
Change was imperative, but true to his character, City's Chilean enforcer never allowed a frown to cross his brow. After a few words of wisdom and a plea to not panic, the blues snarled into the faces of their opposing pussy-cats and embarked on their dogged pursuit of an equaliser.
Just ten minutes into the second half, Yaya Touré curled in possibly the finest goal ever seen on Wembley turf. An innocuous five yard pass from Pablo Zabaleta was eyed up by the Ivorian who leaned back and whipped an enchanting 30-yard strike into the top corner of Mannone's net. As the African Player of the Year galloped towards his incredulous admirers, the arena was reminded of City's class, and that the Capital One Cup trophy was certainly within their grasp.
(An carnivorous start to the second half helped the blues on their way to the trophy)
The Black Cats stiffened before the headlights of Manchester City's zealous quest for the lead, and just one minute later, Aleksandar Kolarov's fizzing cross found the right boot of Samir Nasri who half volleyed a lethal effort into the side netting. Two world class finishes cast a mesmerising spell over the skies of Wembley, and Manuel Pellegrini's minions commenced their merciless march over Poyet's fearless felines.
(Samir Nasri gives his side the lead with a stunning effort)
In a frantic attempt to rescue his side's cup challenge, the Uruguayan summoned Scottish striker Steven Fletcher from the bench. Sunderland's chase for an equaliser endured until the dying moments of the fixture, but the substitute wasted two mouthwatering opportunities to force the tie into extra time.
Exposed and exhausted from a series of sprints into the Manchester City penalty area, the Wearsiders watched on as Yaya Touré loped through the centre of midfield and played in Jesus Navas who slotted in City's cup winning goal on the 90 minute mark.
(Jesus Navas ends the tie with a slotted finish)
A valiant Sunderland performance must be commended, and for 55 minutes their speed, appetite and fight eclipsed that of their titanic opponents. A mere tap in may not have seen the blues find second gear in the second half, but the nature of Yaya Touré's equaliser provided his side with a crucial reminder of the class at their disposal. With the Capital One Cup now nestling alongside an ever-growing cabinet of trophies, Manuel Pellegrini can set his sights on that famous quadruple.
Player Ratings
Costel Pantillimon 6 - Looked delighted to be part of the cup winning side and had his manager to thank for keeping him in between the sticks. Was beaten by a delightful finish he could do nothing about, and looked comfortable throughout the game. Pablo Zabaleta 7 - Won his fair share of crunching tackles and bombed up and down the line with typical relentlessness. His job was made harder by Nasri's defensive incapabilities, but the Argentine was up to the task. Vincent Kompany 6 - A wobbly performance by the Belgian's exceptionally high standards. Got the wrong side of Borini for Sunderland's opener but redeemed himself somewhat with an excellent tackle on the Italian minutes later. Martin Demichelis 7 - He'll be blamed for Kompany's mistakes, but in actual fact, everyone's favourite scapegoat had a relatively comfortable afternoon. He's not going to get any faster, but he makes up for it in experience. Aleksandar Kolarov 7 - Other than Steven Gerrard, it's difficult to think of a player who puts in a better cross than the Serbian. What he lacks in defence he makes up for in attack and his delivery was second to none once again on Sunday afternoon. Samir Nasri 7.5 - Possibly the most vocal Manchester City player in the build up to the fixture and was evidently desperate to avoid yet another cup upset. Struggled to penetrate Sunderland's rigidity in the first half but put the blues ahead with a thunderous half volley. Yaya Touré 8 - The man for the big occasion turned up at his second home once again. Commanded City's second half push, scoring an incredible goal and assisting Navas. Fernandinho 7 - Had the job of manning a packed Sunderland midfield and he did his job terrifically. Sweeped the play up and allowed the men in front of him to pull City back into the tie. David Silva 7 - Kept the ball well but couldn't affect proceedings as much as he'd have liked to. Edin Džeko 5 - A disheartening performance from the Bosnian who was awarded a surprise start ahead of Negredo. Lacked service but did nothing to help the blues when they were on the back foot. Work rate questionable once again. Sergio Agüero 6 - Great to see the Argentine back, but he wasn't fit, and was rightly substituted with thirty minutes to spare.Substitutes
Jesus Navas 6 - Grabbed himself a memorable goal.
Javi García 6 - Successfully prevented a Sunderland onslaught.
Match Stats
Possession: Manchester City 61% Sunderland 39%
Shots: Manchester City 10 Sunderland 6
Shots on target: Manchester City 6 Sunderland 3
Corners: Manchester City 9 Sunderland 7
Fouls: Manchester City 13 Sunderland 10
