Man City vs Sunderland preview, prediction, team news, and head-to-head

The 10-time champions are aiming to stay hot on the heels of league leaders Arsenal. Meanwhile, Sunderland, who have surprised everyone by climbing to sixth, are pushing for a spot in Europe.

Manchester City head into this fixture aiming to tighten things up at the back after two wild Premier League wins. They edged past Leeds United 3-2 at home, then followed it up with an intense 5-4 victory over Fulham in midweek.

While their attacking power, led by Erling Haaland, continues to shine, City’s defence has looked shaky, leaking six goals across those two games. Pep will need to fix this defence if he wants to fare well in this title race.

As for Sunderland, their remarkable run under Regis Le Bris shows no signs of slowing down. The newly-promoted side find themselves in sixth place, having lost just once in their last seven matches.

They held reigning champions Liverpool to a 1-1 draw at Anfield last time out, and might have even taken all three points if not for a late goal-line clearance. That came after a dramatic 3-2 win over Bournemouth, further boosting their momentum.

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Manchester City have had a clear upper hand in this fixture for years. Since 2000, they have consistently come out on top in most competitive clashes with Sunderland, winning the vast majority. In fact, City are unbeaten in their last nine meetings with the Black Cats across all competitions (W8, D1).

While Sunderland’s current form adds a new twist, history still leans heavily in City's favour. It is important to note that goals are usually guaranteed whenever these two teams meet.

Manchester City are likely to be without midfielder Mateo Kovacic, who is still sidelined with an ankle injury that could keep him out until February. Even more concerning is the status of key holding midfielder Rodri, who is a major doubt as he recovers from a thigh and hamstring problem.

Pep Guardiola is expected to be cautious. This means Nico Gonzalez might step in to partner Bernardo Silva in midfield, while Haaland, Foden, and Doku will lead the attack.

For Sunderland, the coach is expected to stick with the same squad that earned a point at Anfield. Key players like forward Wilson Isidor, midfielder Chemsdine Talbi, and standout goalkeeper Robin Roefs are all expected to start.

Man City (4–2-3-1): Donnarumma; Khusanov, Stones, Gvardiol, O’Reilly; Gonzalez, Reijnders; Cherki, Foden, Doku; Haaland

Sunderland (5-2-3): Roefs; Hume, Mukiele, Ballard, Alderete, Reinildo; Xhaka, Sadiki; Talbi, Isidor, Le Fee

Sunderland have been flying high lately, but heading to the Etihad to face a motivated Manchester City is a whole different challenge. City’s attack is unstoppable right now, and even with some shaky moments at the back, you can back Pep’s men to win the match by staking on Livescorebet.

The home team rarely keeps a clean sheet these days. Therefore, you can also consider going for goal options since the usual pattern with Man City is for them to outscore their opponents.

Prediction: Man City 3-1 Sunderland

• Bet on Man City to win

• Over 2.5 goals

• Erling Haaland to score