Blues 1-2 Sunderland

Starting XI

Two changes. Jobe Bellingham in for his first league start. Kristian Bielik returns from suspension. Jordan Graham and Tahith Chong drop to the bench. Juninho Bacuna shifts to RWB.

Game

Another indifferent first half. An excellent Sunderland move saw Dan Neil find Amad Diallo at the back post only for John Ruddy to deny him. A few minutes later, Troy Deeney hit the bar with a header after Dion Sanderson flicked on Emmanuel Longelo's cross.

Sunderland struck first. Diallo took a loose ball and fended off a challenge from Bellingham, while Sanderson and Bielik stepped off for a moment. It allowed Diallo to squirm away and find the pass to Ellis Simms who finished confidently.

The game died a little after that. Alex Pritchard put wide from a free-kick. Late in the half, Deeney started finding space and creating, twice playing Scott Hogan in behind, his first effort a 1 v 1 that hit Anthony Patterson, the second effort being deflected behind for a corner. The Blues captain also crossed for Bellingham who lacked power on his header.

It took four minutes of the second half for the visitors to double their lead. A move broke down and Neil got the better of Hannibal before expertly finding Diallo's burst down the right. He went 1 v 1 with Trusty before curling the ball in off the far post.

After Bacuna saw an effort denied, Eustace made a triple substitution and we dominated thereon, albeit, without the chances. Bacuna's corner was volleyed on target by Bielik. Longelo drove forward, cut inside and saw his effort deflected wide. The same man set up the equaliser, a driving run and cross half volleyed in by Lukas Jutkiewicz.

Blues pumped a number of balls into the box but it wasn't to be. Sanderson saw his effort blocked on the line by George Hall. A fine combination between the front three almost resulted in a big chance but for a misstep on the final pass and Hogan headed Deeney's cross just wide.

Tactics

3-1-4-2 v 4-2-3-1.

Blues started as normal out of possession. Bellingham and Hannibal were tasked with closing the full-backs while the strikers dropped onto the central midfielders. The press started when the ball went back.

Except, the ball rarely went back. Sunderland took a no risk approach here, partly down to their lack of defensive resource. When the break reached their full back, they almost exclusively went long, looking to turn the Blues backline and play off Simms.

When they did go short, it was often to Evans or Neil, who were dropping wide unchallenged and then finding Pritchard in space, who tended to become free after Bielik stepped up to challenge. Jack Clarke and Diallo were making in to outside runs and occupying the wide centre halves and it ended up that Blues' wing-backs would find themselves caught between the press and the ball over them. And it also meant that when the ball found Pritchard, Blues' back three were occupied.

Out of possession, Sunderland pretty much went for a man to man approach. The front three marked Blues' back three, the midfield went man for man too. The full backs then stepped on to the wing backs, albeit there was regular communication between Diallo and Trai Hume about when Diallo should step up and a cautiousness in going too high, too quickly in case they exposed the centre backs.

That meant that the wing-backs were Blues' outlets here, showcased mostly by Bacuna. It required a speed of movement, however, with Clarke and Diallo quick to drop in and support when the ball was moved out. They would only track so far.

Later in the first half, Blues found another way to beat Sunderland and that was by finding Deeney in gaps. When he dropped off the front, neither Bailey Wright or Danny Batth were comfortable stepping out with him.

The second half triple substitution changed things up. Blues went to a 4-3-3 with Bacuna and Longelo at full-back, Chong and Hall flanking Bielik in midfield and Jutkiewicz joining Deeney and Hogan in attack. Blues began a far more direct approach, looking for knockdowns and second balls and width. In terms of the initial phase, Blues now had Chong and Hall dropping in with Bielik to receive the ball off the defence and tempt Sunderland forward, rather than the 8's staying high. Bacuna and Longelo could remain high up the pitch knowing the Sunderland full-backs were occupied by the Blues front three. Diagonals and driving runs became the order of the day.

Players

I thought Bacuna was probably Blues' best player. Did a number on Clarke. Wanted to attack. Sanderson and Bielik were solid, albeit they ought to have done better with the first. Deeney had a decent game.

Bellingham obviously made his full debut so I'll touch on that briefly. It was a typical teenage debut performance, the type we've seen a number of times in recent years. Tidy in possession but maybe took an extra touch or played safe once too often. Lacked some robustness and a yard of pace. He's 17. It's his full debut. We can't judge too much just yet. The same with James, Hall and Chang. That was his start, let's see how he develops.

For Sunderland, Diallo understandably receives the plaudits having assisted one and scored the other. I thought Neil was superb, tidy in possession with a lovely range and weight of pass.

Anything else?

Diallo. We almost signed him in January. He went elsewhere. Of course he won the game for Sunderland.

Wrapping it up...

I guess there are two sides to this.

Firstly, the game itself. This was our fourth game in nine days. You could see the leggy performances out there. Taking the extra touch. Not quite as sharp to open the pitch out. Not quite as quick to make those lung-bursting runs. It's understandable.

And yet, we weren't second best. Like our previous games, we created as many, if not more, chances than our opposition. The difference in the day was that they were ruthless when chances came their way whereas Blues weren't. We're playing on fine margins and that will happen.

Secondly, the broader picture. This was our last game before the World Cup break. The games tomorrow mean we will probably slip down the table slightly but if you had offered me 10th-14th in the league table at this stage, I'd have snapped your hands off in the summer.

John Eustace and his staff have done a fantastic job. Long may it continue.