City Terpeleset oleh Klub Juru Kunci di Klasemen
Manchester City Draw to Last-Place Sunderland
Editor : Ismail Gani
Translator : Novita Cahyadi
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Manchester (B2B) - Kandidat juara Liga Utama Inggris Manchester City secara mengejutkan ditahan seri 2-2 oleh juru kunci Sunderland pada laga lanjutan Liga Utama Inggris Kamis dini hari ini di Etihad Stadium.
City langsung unggul 1-0 pada dua menit awal babak pertama. Alvaro Negredo memenangkan perebutan bola untuk dia teruskan kepada Sergio Aguero yang lalu mengirimkan umpan kepada Fernandinho yang berada di kotak penalti Sunderland.
Pemain Brasil ini tidak menyianyiakan kesempatan dengan melepaskan tendangan menyusur dari jarak delapan yard dan terciptalah gol City, seperti dilansir Yahoo Sports.
City berusaha menambah gol dengan setidaknya menciptakan 11 peluang gol yang 5 diantaranya on target, sedangkan Sunderland hanya dua kali membahayakan gawang City di babak pertama ini.
Pada babak kedua Sunderland secara mengejutkan membalikkan keadaan menjadi 2-1 setelah menciptakan dua gol pada kurun sepuluh menit.
Gol pertama Sunderland diciptakan pada menit 73 oleh Connor Wickham yang meneruskan umpan pemain pengganti Emmnuele Giaccherini. Sepuluh menit kemudian pada menit 83, Wickham kembali menciptakan gol, juga setelah bekerjasama dengan Giaccherini.
Samir Nasri menyelamatkan City dari kekalahan memalukan pada menit 88 usai menerima olahan bola dari pemain pengganti Stevan Jovetic dengan kedudukan akhir 2-2.
City pun gagal menempel ketat Chelsea dan Liverpool dengan kini terpaut masing-masing 4 dan 6 poin dari dua teratas klasemen Liga Premier tersebut yang masing-masing mengoleksi 75 dan 77 poin.
Manchester - Manchester City´s hopes of winning the Premier League took a big hit with a 2-2 draw at home to last-place Sunderland on Wednesday, with the title chasers needing an 88th-minute goal from Samir Nasri to earn a point.
Third-placed City trimmed the deficit to Liverpool to six points, with one game still in hand, but will see this as two points dropped after losing a second-minute lead given to the team by Fernandinho.
Connor Wickham scored in the 73rd and 83rd minutes to put Sunderland on course for a major upset that would have cut its gap to safety to four points.
But Nasri swept home a shot that trickled through the fingers of goalkeeper Vito Mannone to secure a draw that will be celebrated by Liverpool and second-placed Chelsea.
"We have to play five games more," City manager Manuel Pellegrini said, so we continue having chances, (but) less chances than before this game."
Looking to bounce back from a 3-2 home loss to Liverpool on Sunday, City was lucky to come away with a point from a sloppy display that will give encouragement to its title rivals.
Without the power and goal threat of the injured Yaya Toure and the guile of David Silva, who was rested as a precaution because of a foot problem, this was one of the rare occasions when City lacked creativity and inspiration going forward.
Indeed, Fernandinho´s goal was one of the few times in the first half that Sunderland´s defense was unpicked, Sergio Aguero delivering a short pass that was dummied by Alvaro Negredo to allow the Brazil midfielder to collect and shoot inside Mannone´s near post.
