For tonight’s visitors this is their first round in this season’s Capital One Cup, as is standard for all teams who compete in Europe.

Sunderland are without a win in six matches, a hugely disappointing start after Advocaat took over from Gus Poyet in March and helped them avoid what looked like certain relegation to The Championship.

City went into the game without David Silva, Samir Nasri, Fabian Delph, Pablo Zabaleta, Vincent Kompany, Eliaquim Mangala, Gael Clichy, Wilfried Bony and Kelechi Iheanacho, but Pellegrini is hopeful of having at least a couple of them back for Saturday’s league trip to Tottenham.

Sunderland boss Dick Advocaat attempted to stay positive despite his side’s disappointing 4-1 League Cup defeat against Manchester City.

And with Sunderland now out of the League Cup, Advocaat’s sights will return to ensuring the Black Cats can preserve their Premier League status. Punters have also been following this tournament very closely and winning lucrative cash on the games due to the competitive markets to be found at sportsbooks like bet365 Sports.

Image courtesy of Manchester City FC via YouTube, with thanks. A draw is at 4.75, but there are over a dozen different props that punters can capitalize on prior to the match.

Birmingham made the better start, but Tim Sherwood turned the tide by introducing Jordan Ayew and Jack Grealish at halftime and Gestede powered home the victor just past the hour mark.

However, asked further how close he might be to calling it a day on Wearside, he replied: “Very far, because we did not have a pre-season with the players and now we can see that they are coming a little bit to the level (required)”.

“We played well – especially in the first half”, Pellegrini said.

“And then we get the line-up and they named their strongest side“.

“I can play the three positions”. Login using you Facebook, Twitter, Google or LinkedIn accounts and have your say!

With West Ham’s formation remaining the same, Sports Interactive simulated the game over again with various Manchester City line-ups and tactics until it produced an alternative result. I don’t want to stop and have a rest. It is not necessarily a dearth of talent – though certainly they’ve brought in plenty of sub-par players on over-par wages through the years – that is the issue at the Stadium of Light, but something harder to pinpoint, something embedded in the culture of the club itself.

“I can only get better if I play with great players”.