Fernandinho 2', Nasri 88' Wickham 73', 83'
City stick title where the Sun doesn't shine.
No Silva, no spark; No Touré, no title. A troubling tale of over-reliance was narrated by Manuel Pellegrini on Wednesday night as his men fell at the feet of fatigue, Sunderland fight, and a farcical lack of flair in the absence of his trusty twosome. With six points and just one game in hand separating the blues from league leaders Liverpool, City no longer command the fate of the Premier League title, and the legendary 'spirit of 2012' that navigated Roberto Mancini's side to a nectarous title win two years ago seems to have followed the Italian out of the club.
In a remarkably capricious affair, it was perhaps Manchester City's blistering start that made the final result so inconceivable. Álvaro Negredo, returning to the starting line up after three weeks on the bench, treated the Etihad to a glimmer of his undisputed quality with a shrewd dummy which allowed Fernandinho to fire in his fifth goal of the season in the second minute.
(Fernandinho's strike hands City an early lead)
But not even the reunion of the 'Beauty and the Beast' partnership that savaged the Premier League roster earlier in the season could maintain City's early momentum. The predatory partnership that contributed to 39% of City's 54 league goals before January have seen injury and confidence assault their relationship, and the duo were tamed with relative ease on Wednesday night by a defence that have conceded 56 goals this term.
City's timidity in the air, which allowed Martin Skrtel to head Liverpool to a 2-0 lead on Sunday, continued to unnerve the blue back line, and seductive set-piece deliveries from Adam Johnson and Sebastian Larsson presented John O'Shea with two mouthwatering chances to grab his side a deserved equaliser. The pace of the Black Cats' counter attacking play continued to swipe at City's soft underbelly in the absence of Yaya Touré's power and David Silva's ingenuity, and despite his success in comfortably controlling the midfield, Javi García's relaxed approach deprived the blues of any urgency when going forward.
(Javi García martialled the midfield with ease, but couldn't provide his side with the pace they needed to attack Sunderland)
Teams fighting for their lives at the bottom of the table are often the most dangerous opponents, but Pellegrini's complacent comrades exhibited a criminal ignorance of that fact as the game descended into a pounding headache for Manchester City fans. The introduction of Stevan Jovetić failed to inject any sort of impetus into the home side, but Gus Poyet's decision to summon Emanuele Giaccherini from the bench inspired City's guests to a warranted equaliser with just seventeen minutes left to play. The Italian's teasing ball into the box found the unmarked Connor Wickham who tapped in to an empty net in front of a rapturous Sunderland following.
(Connor Wickham volleys in a deserved equaliser for his side)
And it was Giaccherini and Wickham who combined yet again to stun a depleted Etihad crowd in the 83rd minute. A languorous City attack was customarily repelled by the solidity of Sunderland's back line, and the 28-year-old Italian found the former Ipswich striker in acres of space to fire past Joe Hart at his near post.
(The 21-year-old striker celebrates his crucial late goal)
The goal issued the blues with a fitting punishment for their hideous display, and Gus Poyet's hopes of lifting his side off the the bottom of the table entered the realm of possibility in the most unlikely of environments. Sunderland had never won a game at the Etihad Stadium in their history, but with the prospect of another year in England's top flight propelling their brilliance, that record looked set to be smashed.
But even on a night where the 2011/2012 champions look unable to complete a single pass, they were able to summon at least a percentage of the resolve that magically won them the title just two years ago. With just two minutes left to play, Samir Nasri's tame effort was comically fumbled by Vito Mannone who allowed the effort to trickle into the far corner. Another goal would have been repugnantly cruel on the guests, and the Frenchman's calamatous miss in the dying seconds prevented an even more theatrical Poyet breakdown.
(Samir Nasri races back to the halfway line after securing a late equaliser for his side)
The spirit of 2012 has certainly followed Roberto Mancini out of the doors of the Etihad Stadium and across the Mediterranean, and a renewed reliance on individual brilliance this season proved fruitless in the absence of Yaya Touré and David Silva. Complacency has become a crippling issue for the blues who still wear the scars inflicted by losses to relegation battlers Cardiff City, Aston Villa and their Wednesday night rivals Sunderland, and their conduct against the Premier League's pit dwellers has ultimately sealed their fate in the 2013/2014 title race. Yes, there's still hope, but without spirt, that hope continues to fade.
Player Ratings
Joe Hart 6 - Made a great stop to deny Colback, but was easily beaten by Wickham at his near post. 
Pablo Zabaleta 7 - Typically dogged display from the Argentine who assumed the responsibilty of driving City forward.
Vincent Kompany 6 - Another out of sorts performance with no real leadership. Doesn't look fit.
Martin Demichelis 7 - Solid display and once again assumed control of the defence.
Aleksandar Kolarov 6 - Bombed up and down the line and angled in a number of crosses into the box, but was forced back as Sunderland drove on in the second half.
James Milner 5 - Unable to keep up the performance levels he offered to the game on Sunday and his passing was shocking.
Javi García 6 - Had no trouble in the centre of midfield, but his lack of pace characterised a languid City display.
Fernandinho 6 - Grabbed the early goal but like many of his team mates, he tired.
Samir Nasri 5 - Ineffective in a game where City craved his creativity. Scored the equaliser and missed a sitter in the dying moments.
Sergio Agüero 6 - Lively in the opening stages but wasn't fit enough to see out the game.
Álvaro Negredo 5 - A few fancy touches, but the Spaniard has dropped off the pace worryingly and his poor passing sparked a number of Sunderland's dangerous attacks.Substitutes
Stevan Jovetić 7 - Showed invention and almost scored a wonderful overhead kick. Should be given a chance next Monday.
Edin Džeko 5 - Unable to affect proceedings.
Jack Rodwell - no time to mark.
Match Stats
Shots on target: Manchester City 4 - 3 Sunderland
Shots off target: Manchester City 9 - 8 Sunderland
Blocked shots: Manchester City 3 - 0 Sunderland
Corners: Manchester City 3 - 6 Sunderland
Fouls: Manchester City 14 - 10 Sunderland
Pass Completion: Manchester City 89% - 83% Sunderland
Tackle Success: Manchester City 49% - 44% Sunderland
Possession: Manchester City 54% - 46% Sunderland
