Sunderland manager Gus Poyet claims his team plans for next Sunday’s Capital One Cup final against Manchester City are “back to zero” after the side’s poor performance in the 4-1 defeat at Arsenal on Saturday.
The Uruguayan had hoped to use the game at the Emirates Stadium to test his tactics for their game against Manuel Pellegrini’s side at Wembley.
However the players didn’t work to the script as the Gunners kept alive their Premier League title ambitions thanks to Olivier Giroud’s brace and goals from Tomas Rosicky and Laurent Koscielny.
The Black Cats grabbed a consolation through Emanuele Giaccherini, but the reverse means they remain in the final relegation position in the table.
But looking ahead to the cup final in seven days’ time, Poyet admitted that he will have to go back to the drawing board and start his planning from scratch.
And he also warned his players that none of them are guaranteed a place in his starting XI such was the abject nature of their performance against the Gunners.
Poyet said: “I told the players, straight, after the game, that none of them had put themselves on the team-bus for next week.
“There are similarities between Arsenal and Man City – they are not identical but there are similarities and what we tried against Arsenal simply did not work.
“So everything I had in mind before the Arsenal game has gone now. We are back to zero and we have to start again.”
Sunderland are 5.54 to win the Capital One Cup final, while City have been installed as strong 1.14 favourites to come out on top.
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