Sunderland v Manchester City – Line-ups, stats and preview
Sunderland, still unbeaten at the Stadium of Light this season, hosts Manchester City on Wearside for a Premier League clash on Thursday night, with the visitors coming in on a six-match winning streak in the league.
Ahead of Thursday’s matchup, Sunderland realizes that chances to trouble Manchester City are limited, yet their home performance this season brings genuine hope.
The Black Cats remain unbeaten in nine Premier League games at home, earning points against several teams currently positioned at the top of the league.
Regis Le Bris’s squad has gone three matches without a loss, maintaining clean sheets in two of those contests despite experiencing several injuries and players away on international duty.
Earlier draws against Aston Villa and Arsenal have bolstered Sunderland’s confidence that they can hold their own against top-tier sides at home.
Nonetheless, their recent history versus City is discouraging. Sunderland has been defeated in their last eight encounters with the Manchester club across all competitions and hasn’t celebrated a victory against them since November 2013. Their last home win in this matchup took place in December 2012.
Manchester City enters this match in excellent shape. A 2-1 victory away to Nottingham Forest last weekend pushed their winning streak to six matches, marking their longest run since the final stages of the 2023-24 season.
Team news for Sunderland v Manchester City
Sunderland will be missing several key players due to injuries and commitments to the Africa Cup of Nations. Ajibola Alese and Daniel Ballard are still out, while Habib Diarra, Bertrand Traore, Chemsdine Talbi, Noah Sadiki, Arthur Masuaku, and Reinildo Mandava are on international duty.
Wilson Isidor is anticipated to come off the bench, having scored three of his four league goals this season at home.
On the other hand, Manchester City has fewer absences but will still miss John Stones, Mateo Kovacic, Jeremy Doku, and Oscar Bobb due to injuries. Omar Marmoush and Rayan Ait Nouri are unavailable because of AFCON participation.
Régis Le Bris Manchester City New Years’ Eve 1.30pm#SUNMCI— Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) December 30, 2025
Expected line-ups for Sunderland v Manchester City
Sunderland: Roefs; Hume, Mukiele, Alderete, Cirkin; Xhaka, Geertruida; Rigg, Le Fee, Adingra; Brobbey
Manchester City: Donnarumma; Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly; Silva, Gonzalez, Reijnders; Cherki, Foden; Haaland
How to watch Sunderland v Manchester City: TV channel, online stream
The match kicks off on Thursday at 20:00 GMT (15:00 ET / 12:00 PT), with live coverage available in the UK through Sky Sports Main Event.
By using Now TV, Sky Sports offers a day membership for £14.99, a 12-month membership for £28 a month, or a month-to-month plan for £34.99 without a contract.
Sky Sports memberships grant access to all 12 live Sky Sports channels and Sky Sports+, which features live streams and a dedicated channel.
Streaming is accessible on a wide range of devices via the Sky GO app.
The stats for Sunderland v Manchester City
• Sunderland is unbeaten in nine Premier League home matches this season
• Sunderland has lost their last eight matches against Manchester City in all competitions
• The Black Cats have not triumphed over City since November 2013
• Manchester City has secured six consecutive Premier League victories
• City has netted at least two goals in five of their last six league fixtures
• Rayan Cherki has participated in five goals in his last four Premier League starts
• Erling Haaland has scored at 23 of the 24 away grounds where he has played in the Premier League
Prediction
Sunderland
1
–
3
Manchester City
Sunderland has scored in every home league match this season and poses a challenge for Manchester City, especially considering their confidence at home.
However, the current form and attacking prowess of City should ultimately prevail, even if the hosts manage to stay competitive for extended periods.
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Published: 2026-01-01 12:14:00
source: www.101greatgoals.com
