THE dirty dozen it is then, and after 12 Premiership defeats in a row the end of the season cannot come quickly enough for Sunderland's bedraggled players.

Before the curtain falls on this wretched campaign there is, of course, the small matter of Saturday's Wear-Tyne derby, plus engagements with Aston Villa and Arsenal.

One wonders how much more confidence there is left to sap from a Sunderland side that will surely finish the season as the worst in Premiership history.

Two goals in three first-half minutes knocked the stuffing out of Mick McCarthy's team; a third for Manchester City towards the end merely served to give the scoreline a more realistic look after an incredibly one-sided match.

Indeed, Sunderland were ultimately grateful for their opponents' failure to capitalise on their total dominance yesterday.

City would have won by several more than the three they settled for had they not attempted to play champagne football - "We possibly over-elaborated at times in the second half and looked for wonder goals," Kevin Keegan said.

So embarrassing were Sunderland, their own fans mocked them shortly before the final whistle, shouting "Ole!" as they enjoyed a rare period of possession.

And to round off a thoroughly miserable day, Sunderland saw Kevin Phillips hobble off 11 minutes from time with a groin injury.

As if the Black Cats needed to suffer from any more ill-fortune, they had already used three substitutes, so finished the match with ten men on the pitch.

Sunderland's bright and breezy performance against Chelsea is resembling an aberration rather than a benchmark by which they can be judged.

Certainly, hopes of beating Watford's record low of 24 points in 1999-2000 seem more and more forlorn with time running out.

Sunderland, currently on 19 points, need two wins from their final three fixtures to leapfrog the Hornets and avoid that particular entry in the Premier League Hall of Shame.

But on this evidence - and given they have picked up just one point this year - who would back them to claim even a draw before they are put out of their Premiership misery?

McCarthy has admitted there is a dearth of talented youngsters to call on; instead, he is picking the nucleus of the side that failed Peter Reid and Howard Wilkinson.

Jonjo Dickman made his first-team debut at Maine Road, but the 21-year-old midfielder apart it was the usual suspects who were culpable in this surrender.

Peter Reid turned down the chance to sign Ali Benarbia for Sunderland; how foolish that decision seemed yesterday.

Time and again, Benarbia picked holes in Sunderland's defence, and McCarthy's assertion that it was "men against boys" was apposite.

City looked by far the most dangerous side when the game was goalless, though the absence of a quality final ball let them down in a handful of instances.

Eventually, Sunderland were unhinged in the 36th minute by little more than a punt down their left wing that set Nicolas Anelka away.

He cut inside Sean Thornton's challenge and provided a cutback that Marc-Vivien Foe drilled past the helpless Mart Poom from 12 yards.

One became two almost instantly, Benarbia's through ball finding Robbie Fowler in space after he had eluded the attentions of Jody Craddock and George McCartney.

As Poom rushed off his line, the £6m striker lifted his first-time shot over the goalkeeper and just under the crossbar from the edge of the penalty area.

That ended the game as a contest, and City were content to showboat for much of the second half, safe in the knowledge that victory was assured.

One deflected Phillips shot caused Schmeichel palpitations after the Dane only succeeded in palming the ball away, but he snuffed out the danger as Marcus Stewart tried to pounce.

It was all City from that near-miss onwards, and Djamel Belmadi and Fowler both went close to adding to their lead before Sunderland cracked again nine minutes from time.

Benarbia released Belmadi down City's left flank, and from his low centre an unmarked Foe lashed a nine-yard shot into the roof of the net.

By now, Sunderland were a man down, Phillips having limped disconsolately off the pitch and possibly out of Saturday's derby with Newcastle United.

And for City, in their penultimate Premiership fixture at Maine Road before they move grounds, it was time to really turn on the style.

Shaun Wright-Phillips twisted and turned his way past a posse of bewildered defenders on the edge of the Sunderland box before supplying Fowler.

The striker's shot was saved by Poom, who then excelled himself by pushing Belmadi's powerful follow-up effort wide.

The final whistle came as a merciful relief for Sunderland.

One does not expect Newcastle to show similar sympathy to their neighbours in four days' time.

Result: Manchester United 3 Sunderland 0.

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