I just watched Sunderland earn a crucial draw with Manchester City - this is how they did it explained

There’s no doubt that Manchester City missed some big second half chances in this game, and will rue that some better finishing in key moments denied them all three points.

But so resolute was Sunderland’s application and so intelligent their tactical performance in the first half, it is hard not to argue that they deserved to preserve their unbeaten home record and take something from this game. They had even had the better of the chances in the first half and though by the end they had to rely on their defensive spirit and quality inside their own penalty box, this was far from one-way traffic.

Given the extent of the absences in their squad and the quality of the opponent, you could make a strong case that this was one of their very best results of the season so far.

The Black Cats had survived an early scare when Bernardo Silva turned a flick-on from Erling Haaland home with just two minutes on the clock, the striker rising ominously at the front post to meet a corner. Fortunately for Sunderland, the offside flag was raised and a VAR check showed that Silva was behind Trai Hume even if there wasn't too much in it.

It was a moment out of step with the general pattern of play, though, with Sunderland not just comfortable but a genuine threat from the off. They dropped deep when they needed to and for spells were happy in a low block with Man City's centre backs in possession, but Le Bris's decision to stick with a 4-4-2 shape out of possession meant they could spring into a high press when the occasion commanded. Eliezer Mayenda's return was giving Sunderland another outlet high up the pitch, with Hume pushing forward from the right wing and Geertruida tucking in behind him.

Mayenda and Hume combined nicely with a quarter of an hour played, the former releasing the latter who saw his low cross cut out by Ruben Dias. It marked the start of a good spell for Sunderland, who created the best chance of the half when Mukiele sprung Brobbey clear with a long ball forward. The striker did brilliantly to hold off Dias and work a shooting opportunity, but with the angle narrowing he could only fire straight at Gianluigi Donarumma in the City goal. A half chance followed moments later when Sunderland build up nicely down the left, the ball breaking for Hume who could only fire wide with a first-time effort from the edge of the box.

The visitors were mostly dominating possession, but had little to show for it. Most encouragingly for Sunderland, Mukiele had been dominant in his battle with Haaland. The striker threatened only once before the break, finding space to meet Foden's clever cutback but finding his effort blocked by Roefs in the Sunderland goal. The hosts came again, forging another decent chance when Xhaka found Hume free in the box with a cross but saw the defender head it over the bar. It had been a strong half from Sunderland, disciplined but with an genuine attacking threat in spells.

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For all the promise of their first-half performance, Sunderland were given an almighty let-off at the start of the second. Barely a minute had been played when the Black Cats lost the ball in midfield, with City breaking quickly through Foden. He found Cherki whose low cross to the heart of the six-yard box was inch perfect, Savinho turning over the bar from a matter of yards. It was the biggest chance of the game so far. Guardiola had turned to Rodri at the interval, and the step up in quality and intensity from the visitors was clear.

Sunderland responded strongly, Le Fee finding Mayenda and Donarumma making a smart stop low to his left. A more open half than the first was providing entertaining fare, the best chances still falling to City for the most part even if the hosts did continue to offer a threat. Roefs was having a strong game and showed good reflexes to save a header from Gvardiol at close range, Guardiola’s side more incisive in the second than they had been in the first. Doku in particular was offering a threat that hadn’t really been there previously, drawing a strong block from Mukiele with 20 minutes to play as he drove into the box and took aim.

Man City continued to make most of the running as the sheer quality of their substitutes began to tell, Doku lively and Gvardiol striking the post with a brilliantly instinctive first-time volley. Sunderland had to defend their box resolutely, a number of crucial last-ditch blocks preventing the visitors from taking the lead.

In the end, though, Roefs had no significant saves of note to make in the very final exchanges as Sunderland began the year with an excellent point.