Parsley

Not convinced that's a dive. Don't think it was a penalty either mind.

Mignolet on the bench Thought for sure that he'd be safe!

So? So it's hardly worth getting excited about such a pedestrian performance. We were not good by any means. 3-0 flattered us but I was pleased to see us execute a game plan and show some discipline. It seemed to me that Rafa realised they were going to have the ball a lot, as they always do, so rather than run around kicking them getting dragged out of shape we invited them on and pressed them well. We gave nothing away all day, everybody stuck to their task and he picked a team that best suited his tactics rather than trying to get say Shelvey to cover the ground. Lascelles was exceptional and Townsend wasn't far behind, showed good work ethic which I hadn't really seen from him before. It wasn't a vintage performance by any means but I imagine we'll set up exactly the same on Tuesday. I'd say we were very compact and agree that Lascelles and Townsend did well but, let's not forget how much possession and how many chances they had before we got the second. This could, and possible should, have been very different. 3 at most.

Deserves to keep his place alongside Tiote for Tuesday's game.

Townsend's been kicked to shit today and Mason's done fuck all about it. Should've been 3 yellows.

Well in Papiss.

Need Mitro or de Jong on. As hard as Cisse has worked, we need the ball to stick up top.

Wasn't a booking either by the way.

That was a pen on Bassong for me. Gets a head on the ball if Cattermole doesn't push him in the back, exaggerated reaction or not.

Yao. f***ing. Ming. The glass is half-full!

Hopefully with Tiote alongside him Colback can drop his sit-ridiculously-deep-and-only-pass-it-5-yards-sideways act and get forward a bit. Wijnaldum should be better off further forward but I worry that he won't see much of the ball with Cisse up top, who cannot lead the line to save his life.

Martial benched

Sunderland don't have get some luck like.

Rank line-up.

Foul on Bassong in the build-up like.

Sunderland have been an absolute mess on set pieces so far.

Allardyce Rattled.

A Sunderland win is only a good result if we win today really.

Henry Winter gave him an absolute slating on the latest Game podcast. 'All that's wrong with English football', or something along those lines.

They really haven't played anyone of note in the competition yet. and Barca/Bayern have? Bayern were pushed to the brink by a very good Juventus side in fairness.

So clutch from de Bruyne.

Him and Anita looked pretty fucked off with Taylor for the first goal.

Rodwell Unbelievable miss.

Get in Vardy.

Lucky bastards. Kirchkoff gets away with a blatant booking, Yedlin catches Okazaki late in the box but no pen.