Manchester City welcome Sunderland to the Etihad this afternoon in what is suddenly one of the more intriguing fixtures of the weekend. Pep Guardiola’s side are back up to second in the Premier League and scoring freely again, but they face a newly promoted Sunderland team under Régis Le Bris who have stormed into the top six and arrive with genuine belief.
City’s most recent league outing was that chaotic 3–2 win over Leeds, where they raced into a two-goal lead, let it slip, and then needed a stoppage-time winner from Phil Foden to take the points. That result, coming after back-to-back defeats against Newcastle and Bayer Leverkusen, lifted them back into second and underlined both their attacking power and ongoing defensive frailty. At home, though, they have been ruthless: City have won six consecutive Premier League games at the Etihad, with their last two matches in all competitions there producing 14 goals in total.
Sunderland arrive on the back of one of the performances of the season so far. Le Bris’ side trailed Bournemouth 2–0 inside 15 minutes at the Stadium of Light, only to roar back and win 3–2 thanks to goals from Enzo Le Fée, Bertrand Traoré and Brian Brobbey. That victory kept their unbeaten home record intact and moved them up to sixth, with 23 points from 14 games, continuing a start to life back in the top flight that has surprised almost everyone outside Wearside. Their recent run includes that comeback, a 1–1 draw at Anfield against Liverpool and a late equaliser at home to Arsenal earlier in the season, reinforcing the impression that they don’t shy away from bigger occasions.
Team news gives City a headache in midfield. Guardiola has confirmed that Rodri will not be involved as he continues to recover from a hamstring problem, while midfielder Mateo Kovacic also remains sidelined with an ankle injury. That means others will again need to shoulder the responsibility of controlling the game’s tempo. Sunderland have issues of their own, with defender Aji Alese and midfielder Habib Diarra among those ruled out, but the core of Le Bris’ starting XI – including Granit Xhaka, Le Fée and Brobbey – is available.
On the pitch, City are likely to look familiar: long spells of possession, high starting positions from the full-backs and an attacking focal point in Erling Haaland, with Foden in outstanding form around him after four goals in his last two games. Sunderland are expected to be more pragmatic. Le Bris has built a side that is organised without the ball but confident enough to play when they have it, often using Xhaka’s passing range and Le Fée’s creativity to spring quick counters or work set-piece opportunities against bigger sides.
The league table adds an extra layer of intrigue: City start the weekend second, chasing Arsenal at the summit, while Sunderland occupy sixth and are talking openly about sustaining a European push rather than merely surviving. For Guardiola, the priority is to keep the pressure on at the top and avoid more slips after recent wobbles; for Le Bris, this is another chance to prove his side’s remarkable start is built on something solid. Given City’s attacking form at home and Sunderland’s growing reputation for resilience and late drama, the Etihad looks set for a high-quality, high-stakes afternoon.
