Sunderland vs. Manchester City: Issues and Decisions That Will Shape EPL Game

You can say this for the Premier League: It rarely lets you feel too good about yourself for too long.

Manchester City fairly well eviscerated Southampton this past weekend, scoring two of their three goals even after Eliaquim Mangala was fairly sent off.

On repeat viewing, though, it was apparent that City could have had five or six goals against Southampton, for whom the lights that came with sitting in second place on the league table proved too bright and too hot.

But City will have neither the time nor the inclination to be overly satisfied with the win over the Saints. The Premier League is in action mid-week, and City are off to a bogey ground to take on Sunderland.

Here are five key issues and decisions that will shape City's trip to the Stadium of Light.

City's 1st Order of Business? Score a Goal

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City have found the going very hard at the Stadium of Light.

Even before (but especially after) Manuel Pellegrini took over at Manchester City, the Sky Blues rightly carried the reputation of a prodigious goal-scoring force. 

City scored 102 Premier League goals in 2013/14 and 93 in 2011/12, their two title-winning seasons.

That makes this next statistic even harder to comprehend. City's last Premier League goal at the Stadium of Light came on March 14, 2010. Adam Johnson scored for City that day; he is now a Black Cat.

Since then, City have played four league matches away to Sunderland and lost four straight 1-0 decisions.

City need to score early and preferably often to change the negative energy that surrounds them at Sunderland.

Black Cats Are Lucky Against City at the Stadium of Light

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City never seem to get a fair shake at Sunderland.

The four consecutive 1-0 Manchester City defeats away to Sunderland have all featured good fortune for the home side.

Last season, defender Phil Bardsley was the unlikely hero as his bad-angle shot slipped past then-City keeper Costel Pantilimon to give Sunderland the early lead that stood up.

The prior season, it was former City winger Adam Johnson's shot that squeaked past Joe Hart (who should have done better) to give Sunderland the win. On New Year's Day 2012, Ji Dong-won did the honors for the Black Cats at the death. Was Ji offside? Probably.

And perhaps the worst of the lot came in August 2010. Kevin Darling's report for the BBC said it best: "Darren Bent struck an injury-time penalty to give Sunderland a dramatic win over Manchester City, who were left to rue an amazing Carlos Tevez miss."

City need a result, and they are going to a place where results have been terribly hard to come by.

Sky Blues Just Wanna Have Fun

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Milner's intentions were much better than his timing.

While it was unquestionably for a good cause, James Milner's charity foundation's ball was curiously timed.

Manchester City's match with Southampton ended Sunday afternoon at St Mary's Stadium. That evening, "the majority of Manuel Pellegrini's squad—complete with wives and girlfriends—turned out for the midfielder's Vegas-themed night at EventCity in Trafford Park," per Jack Gaughan of the Daily Mail.

"It was a bit of a dash from Southampton but we're here ultimately and it was a good result which is obviously great and sets up the evening nicely," Milner observed.

Put it this way: It is a lot easier to wave off concerns that City's attentions were inappropriately directed here coming off a win than it would have been had they lost at Southampton.

Still, with City now set to travel to Sunderland, it is fair to ask whether the timing of this event made much sense. In fairness, City had to come north anyway, and they were probably stopping in Manchester for a day or so before heading north to Sunderland.

Yeah, but still.

Oh No, Please Not That Again

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City cannot afford to go without Kompany for long, if at all.

You knew Vincent Kompany's leg was really bothering him when he came off the pitch at St Mary's Stadium in the closing minutes of Manchester City's 3-0 win over Southampton.

Eliaquim Mangala was already off for City, having seen red in the 74th minute for a second yellow card offense. City were up 3-0 when Kompany left, which probably weighed into his decision to leave his nine teammates to clean up.

Now the big question is who will play central defense in front of Joe Hart against Sunderland.

"City have more immediate problems in defence if Kompany is ruled out for any length of time," wrote Simon Bajkowski for the Manchester Evening News. "Mangala's red card against Southampton puts him out of the trip to Sunderland on Wednesday."

Bajkowski quoted Manuel Pellegrini as saying that "we have Martin Demichelis and Dedryck Boyata—he is working very well. Bacary Sagna can also play at centre back."

Get well soon, captain.

Will Joe Hart's Contract Situation Be a Distraction?

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That mustache...there are no words.

Manchester City supporters probably thought that the most distracting issue surrounding Joe Hart these days is that ridiculous mustache he sported most recently against Southampton.

Hart may be growing that thing in an attempt to confuse City's management into meeting his demands for a new contract.

"Txiki Begiristain, City’s sporting director, is leading discussions and has tabled a five-year offer that should sizeably increase his salary of £80,000 a-week," wrote Jamie Jackson in The Guardian about Hart's contract negotiations.

Jackson noted further that the contract will be "heavily performance-based," which, given Hart's frightening lapse of form early last season, is probably in the interest of both sides.

And City would be best served to get Hart under contract and situated sooner than later, with some of the season's biggest matches looming in the near term.