by Roger Domeneghetti
at the Stadium of Light

Manchester City responded to the news that Manuel Pellegrini will be leaving at the end of the season with a hard-fought win at the Stadium of Light on Tuesday, that keeps them very much in the hunt for the title.

But they were pushed all the way by a Sunderland side whose efforts deserved at least a point and arguably all three.

“Gutted,” was Sam Allardyce’s reaction. “It’s the most disappointed I’ve been since coming here. 

“A point was the least we deserved. We created more chances than Manchester City but Joe Hart showed why he’s the England goalkeeper. Manchester City had one chance and Aguero scored.”

The Argentinian grabbed the only goal of the game — his eighth in eight — after 16 minutes following neat work from Yaya Toure and Jesus Navas on the edge of the six-yard area.

In previous months that early setback might have been an invitation for Sunderland to collapse defensively but not on this occasion. In fact, for much of the rest of the game they were the better, more aggressive of the teams.

Sunderland new boy Lamine Kone had a golden opportunity to equalise just after the half-hour mark, rising unmarked to meet Jeremain Lens’s cross only to head agonisingly wide of Hart’s right-hand post.

“It was very important to win here. It was a very tough game and a very good result,” said Pellegrini, whose side will host League leaders Leicester on Saturday.

And that was where he directed his focus when quizzed about his impending departure. “I’m not thinking about that. I’m just thinking about having a good season. We’re not thinking about the future; we’re living in the present.”