Match Report
12 points and 12 places separated them: Sunderland U21 15th with 28, Manchester City U21 3rd with 40. In league terms the two rates read 2.05/2 for Sunderland U21 and 2.95/1.05 for Manchester City U21 (scored/conceded per game); the competition average is 1.79.
Sunderland U21 arrived on a run of four straight wins. Sunderland U21 had banked 12 of the last 15 points on offer; Manchester City U21, 4.
4 meetings are on record — 1 won by Sunderland U21, 1 by Manchester City U21, 2 drawn, at 3.5 goals per meeting. The host's record in this fixture is thin — 25% of meetings won. Goals tend to flow: 75% of the meetings produced three or more, and both sides scored in 75%.
Academy of Light Training Ground in South Tyneside staged the fixture, a ground that holds 3,500. Half-time and full-time told different stories: it was 0-0 at the break, before 3 more goals closed it at 1-2.