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

Yesterday at 01:00 AM

There was no better show than this early Christmas blockbuster in mid-December 2009 as Manchester City eventually put a dogged Sunderland to the sword in what would be the final game of the Mark Hughes era at the City of Manchester Stadium.

Rumours were rife pre-game that this was going to be Hughes's final game in charge, and considering the way they defended at times in this game, it was little surprise that he was given the boot.

Sunderland came into this game in a slump where their form had well and truly gone out the window. Despite some injuries, Steve Bruce's team still had plenty of ability and potential in it but were extremely flakey, fallable, and vulnerable at the back where it didn't take them long to concede.

After only four minutes, a simple move by City's talented attacking players broached the stretched back line before Roque Santa Cruz duly tapped in from no more than five yards. This was doubled by a penalty by Carlos Tevez after Santa Cruz played a neat one-two with Craig Bellamy, who was then felled by Sunderland defender Nyron Nosworthy for a penalty.

Tevez's ridiculous celebration was only matched by the inept defending on display by both sides. Even though our defence was not exactly strong with the like of Nosworthy, Turner and McCartney on show, City had spent millions on bringing in players like Kolo Toure to their defence.

Set pieces and crosses into the box appeared to be the pathway back into the game for Bruce's men where a sumptuous cross by Andy Reid laid one on the plate for John Mensah to get one back before City's complete inability to clear their lines in their own box allowed Jordan Henderson to hit a pile driver past Shay Given.

After doing all the hard work, we looked completely bereft at the back with their brittle nature haunting them again when Bellamy scored a third - and the games fifth - all by 35 minutes.

Our inability to defend our box bit us more than once in this game with City striking again in the second half after we got 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.

After this game, Bruce focused his attention on Turner's red in the media instead of holding his hands up on another woeful defensive display from his team. Less than a month later, we would concede seven at Stamford Bridge and to this day, I still cannot fathom how he had the guts to suggest we were harsh on him because he was born in Newcastle.