An in-play guide to Man City v Sunderland
Defeat to Chelsea last time out has almost certainly ruined Manchester City's title bid, but they still have plenty to play for as they bid to qualify for the Champions League for the first time. Sunderland are the latest team attempting to damage their chances live on Sky Sports on Sunday, and we've looked at three statistics that should help you make money on the fixture as the action unfolds...
The first goal is crucial...
Manchester City have scored first 18 times this season and on 14 of those occasions they were able to convert that advantage into a win, whereas they have only suffered defeat once having seized the initiative, away to Wolves. But while they are impressive at holding onto leads, they are ineffective at battling back after conceding first, losing six of the eight games where that has happened. Those trends suggest that it is worth backing whoever grabs the opener to wind up with three points.
...but might not come until the second half
This fixture last season was Mark Hughes' last as Citizens boss and was remarkable, with five goals before half-time. The two clashes before and after featured just two first-half strikes though and it's likely that this will be 0-0 at the interval too. 17 of Sunderland's 30 Premier League ties have been level at the break, more than anyone else, and only Bolton, Birmingham and Stoke's have had fewer goals. Backing under 2.5 goals at [1.94] with a view to a half-time trade may therefore be shrewd.
A sending off is highly probable
A Sunderland defender has been dismissed on three of their four previous visits to Eastlands, and two of those red cards were shown in the final six minutes of matches, so keep an eye on that price as the latest collision enters its closing stages.
Click here for a pre-match punt, or to suss out how the markets are shaping up...
Published: 1 Apr 2011
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