Shaun Wright-Phillips emphatically announced his return to Man City with a brace to defeat Sunderland 3-0.
No way back for Keano's Cats
Shaun Wright-Phillips emphatically announced his return to Man City with a brace to defeat Sunderland 3-0.
The game started off with more bookings and fouls than goalscoring opportunities, and it was not until right before the half-time whistle went that the game really livened up when Stephen Ireland fired home.
Latching onto a Michael Johnson pull-back, the Irish international guided the ball past Craig Gordon on the stroke of half-time.
More tackles began to fly in as Sunderland's frustration showed before Wright-Phillips marked his return to City with the second goal by tapping in unmarked at the far post following good work from Jo.
A cheeky finish followed eight minutes later when the former Chelsea winger ran onto a looping clearance from Michael Ball which he placed home on the bounce and left the Black Cats licking their wounds.
Anger
Despite the presence of Djibril Cisse, El-Hadji Diouf and Steed Malbranque in the starting line-up, Sunderland lacked inspiration, organisation and any real goal threat.
Much of the anger was directed at referee Chris Foy, who appeared to miss a series of fouls, two of which left Malbranque and Grant Leadbitter writhing in agony and had Keane venting his fury at the fourth official.
Leadbitter, preferred to captain Dean Whitehead, twice went close, firing just wide after seven minutes and then he sent a dipping free-kick inches over Joe Hart's crossbar.
Cisse, on his home debut, was a peripheral figure for much of the half but glanced a header straight at Hart eight minutes before the break.
In a flurry of activity which annoyed the home team, their manager and their fans, Malbranque was left in a heap by Richard Dunne and Leadbitter was bodychecked by Vincent Kompany, who had already been booked. On both occasions there was no response from referee Foy.
City gradually found their game and Kompany had seen a well-struck shot blocked by Andy Reid before they took the lead when Danny Collins could only stab Johnson's cross into the path of Ireland, who calmly slotted past Gordon.
Temporary reprieve
In a tough-tackling game which saw Micah Richards limp off and be replaced by Tal Ben Haim, flashes of promise could be seen from South American signing Jo who looked dangerous on the ball, but failed to convert any chances.
They could have extended their lead within two minutes when a shot from Johnson looped up off Nyron Nosworthy and found Jo, but the South American completely missed his kick.
Jo was only inches away from meeting Wright-Phillips' driven cross ahead of Gordon seconds later as the visitors made a real push, but the reprieve was only temporary.
With 50 minutes gone, Johnson picked out Jo on the left edge of the penalty area, and when he drilled the ball across goal, Wright-Phillips made the most of some poor marking to sidefoot the ball into the empty net.
Sunderland's efforts to get themselves back into the game were laboured, and they were rendered fruitless with 58 minutes gone when Wright-Phillips ran on to Ball's pass over the top and flicked a shot past the advancing Gordon.
Keane responded by sending on three strikers - David Healy, Anthony Stokes and Daryl Murphy - for Cisse, Diouf and Leadbitter, but the cause looked a forlorn one and City ran away with the three points.
City might have increased their lead with 12 minutes remaining when Vedran Corluka squared for Ireland, but he lifted his shot high over the bar.
