Sunderland 1 - 0 Manchester City: City stung by Johnson’s controversial goal

SCORERS:

Sunderland - Johnson (53)

The England winger, who was considered surplus to requirements at the Etihad Stadium during the summer and was allowed to join the Black Cats in a £10million move, embarrassed former team-mate Joe Hart with a dipping 53rd-minute strike which beat him at the near post and clinched three precious points for his new employers.

The winner, however, was not without controversy, with the visitors adamant they should have been awarded a free-kick for a foul on Pablo Zabaleta during the build-up.

Sunderland turned in one of their best displays of the season on a day when City played only fitfully, and Hart had to turn away Steven Fletcher’s skidding effort and keep out Stephane Sessegnon 10 minutes from time.

However, if Johnson was the hero in front of a delighted Boxing Day crowd of 42,190, keeper Simon Mignolet deserved equal praise.

The Belgian denied Yaya Toure and David Silva before the break and Sergio Aguero after it, to claim a precious clean sheet and make a huge contribution towards the win.

City arrived determined not to complete that unwanted hat-trick of 1-0 league defeats on Wearside and, after a lacklustre start, eased themselves into the game.

They might have been ahead with just eight minutes gone, but Vincent Kompany’s header came back off the bar and Yaya Toure’s goalbound follow-up was hacked away by Mignolet, who reacted instantly to deny the visitors a lead.

City were pinning Sunderland deep inside their own half and it seemed only a matter of time before they made the pressure tell.

Mignolet had to be at his best once again with 24 minutes gone after Carlos Tevez and Aguero combined to put Silva in on goal, only for Mignolet to block his effort at close range.

But, seconds later, Hart had to dive to his right to turn away Fletcher’s rasping left-foot drive and the Black Cats, buoyed by weathering the early storm, started to force their way into the game.

Seb Larsson drilled a late free-kick straight into the defensive wall but he and his team-mates left the pitch at the break with their clean sheet intact and everything still to play for. Sunderland picked up where they had left off after the restart as James McClean and Johnson, with the help of Sessegnon and Fletcher, stretched City uncomfortably at times. It was they who took the lead with eight minutes of the half played.

City boss Roberto Mancini and Zabaleta were left appealing in vain for a free-kick for Craig Gardner’s challenge on the full-back, but Johnson picked up possession and cut inside before blasting in a dipping shot which caught Hart flat-footed at his near post and squirmed into the bottom corner.

Mignolet excelled himself once again two minutes later to deny Aguero one on one, but it was Hart in the firing line with 10 minutes remaining when Sessegnon was played in by substitute Fraizer Campbell with the keeper coming out on top.

City battered away at their hosts as time ran down but, with Sunderland defending deep and with tenacity, they simply could not find a way through.