Preview: Sunderland vs. Manchester City - prediction, team news, lineups

Still undefeated at the Stadium of Light this season, Sunderland host Manchester City in a Premier League match for the first time in eight years, aiming to halt the Cityzens’ six-match league winning streak.

Pep Guardiola’s men could go into Thursday’s gameweek 19 contest with the possibility of leapfrogging Arsenal at the top of the table, if the Gunners slip up against Aston Villa in Tuesday’s tussle at the Emirates Stadium.

Match preview

Sunderland head into Thursday’s Premier League contest aware that this is probably their finest chance of ending a miserable run against the Manchester giants.

The Black Cats have lost the last eight games across all competitions against the Cityzens, last avoiding defeat in a 2-2 draw in April 2014, and their winless run stretches even longer, having not defeated City since November 2013 — a 12-year drought.

That 1-0 victory at the Stadium of Light followed a similar scoreline at the same venue in December 2012, but the Black Cats have had little joy in this fixture since those back-to-back triumphs over their Manchester opponents.

Their nine-match unbeaten run at the Stadium of Light in the league this season gives Regis Le Bris’s team a huge chance against the eight-time Premier League winners, although a list of absences due to injury or Africa Cup of Nations duty could undermine their prospects.

Even so, they head into this week’s match on a three-match unbeaten run, including two draws without their AFCON absentees, keeping two clean sheets during this sequence.

Having already held Aston Villa (1-1) and Arsenal (2-2) to draws in front of their supporters, Le Bris’s team now aim to complete the three-peat of keeping all three title contenders at bay on Wearside.

That outcome remains to be seen, especially given City’s tendency to be unstoppable when they enter winning-streak territory.

A hard-fought 2-1 win at Nottingham Forest at the weekend was one they might have dropped points in last season, something Guardiola alluded to in his post-match remarks after a Rayan Cherki-inspired performance at the City Ground.

The Frenchman’s latest heroics make him the league’s joint leading assist provider (seven) along with Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes, while only teammate Erling Haaland (eight goals, three assists) and Fernandes (three goals, six assists) have outdone the ex-Lyon playmaker’s one goal and seven assists since the start of November, underlining the summer signing’s influence since overcoming an injury-hit start.

Aiming to continue his outstanding form, the playmaker intends to be decisive for the Manchester visitors, who are bidding to record a seventh consecutive league victory at Sunderland’s expense.

This ongoing run is Man City’s longest winning sequence since claiming nine at the end of the 2023-24 season, highlighting their ominous, dominant form in the title race.

Although this iteration of Guardiola’s City are more direct in how they attack, the individual quality and top-class final-third execution mean they combine tactical astuteness with a clinical edge.

A draw or Villa win at the Emirates on Tuesday means City will be top of the table at the mid-point of the season with a victory on Wearside, and they will back themselves for maximum points for a seventh game running, regardless of Tuesday’s outcome in north London.

Sunderland Premier League form:

Manchester City Premier League form:

Manchester City form (all competitions):

Team News

Sunderland have a surfeit of absentees due to injury or international duty: Ajibola Alese (shoulder) and Daniel Ballard are stuck in the infirmary, while Habib Diarra, Bertrand Traore, Chemsdine Talbi, Noah Sadiki, Arthur Masuaku and Reinildo Mandava are away at the Cup of Nations.

Of Wilson Isidor’s four league goals, three have been at the Stadium of Light, and the forward will hope to add to his tally in home fixtures against Man City, albeit off the bench.

Only Fernandes and Cherki have assisted more goals than Granit Xhaka (five), highlighting the ex-Arsenal midfielder’s chance creation from set pieces and open play.

Man City have fewer AFCON absences – Omar Marmoush and Rayan Ait Nouri – but Guardiola’s team will be without the injured quartet John Stones (muscle), Mateo Kovacic (ankle), Jeremy Doku (leg) and Oscar Bobb (muscle).

Antoine Semenyo is likely to join the title contenders in the winter window, although the Ghana international is not expected to complete his move before January 1’s game on Wearside.

Cherki has been involved in five goals (one goal, four assists) in his last four Premier League starts, including two assists against Sunderland at the start of December, and the playmaker aims to continue his outstanding form.

Nineteen-goal Haaland has scored at 23 of the 24 away grounds he has played at in the Premier League, only firing blanks at Anfield, and the league’s top marksman bids to find the back of the net on his first visit to the Stadium of Light.

Sunderland possible starting lineup:

Roefs; Hume, Mukiele, Alderete, Cirkin; Xhaka, Geertruida; Rigg, Le Fee, Adingra; Brobbey

Manchester City possible starting lineup:

Donnarumma; Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly; Silva, Gonzalez, Reijnders; Cherki, Foden; Haaland

We say: Sunderland 1-2 Manchester City

Having scored in every home fixture this season, Sunderland are favoured to find the net against Man City at the Stadium of Light on Thursday.

Nevertheless, the Black Cats’ impressive unbeaten run on Wearside will not last forever, and Guardiola’s men should secure maximum points against the promoted side to extend their winning streak in this fixture.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.