Manchester City seized on Arsenal’s stumble earlier in the day, sweeping aside Sunderland 3–0 at the Etihad and trimming the gap at the top of the Premier League to just two points. With the league leaders undone by a stoppage-time winner at Villa Park, Pep Guardiola’s men stepped onto the pitch knowing momentum could be dragged firmly back into their grasp — and they delivered with the cold precision of a team rediscovering its edge.
City’s first half felt like a controlled tightening of the screw. Sunderland saw plenty of the ball in harmless areas, but the champions-elect were ruthless when opportunities arose. Rúben Dias, not usually one to unleash from distance, stepped into space and thrashed a phenomenal strike beyond a helpless Anthony Patterson. Minutes later, fellow centre-back Joško Gvardiol buried a towering header from Phil Foden’s wicked in-swinging corner, doubling the advantage with City’s only two efforts on target before the interval.
Guardiola had spent the week lamenting his side’s recent “chaotic” tendencies after conceding eight across their previous three league fixtures. And while the first half suggested City had tightened up, the second exposed flickers of the same vulnerability. Gianluigi Donnarumma was forced into a full-stretch save to thwart Wilson Isidor after a rare moment of slack marking, while Granit Xhaka’s curling strike clipped the far post with Donnarumma beaten. The warnings were there — small cracks in an otherwise dominant display — but Sunderland never mustered the conviction to exploit them.
City eventually extinguished any hope of a comeback through a moment of sheer audacity. Rayan Cherki, whose performance dazzled from start to finish, drifted into the right channel, spotted Foden’s run, and dispatched an outrageous rabona pass that carved open Sunderland’s defence. Foden slid home for his fifth goal in three matches, capping another electric outing in a season where he is increasingly carrying the team’s attacking rhythm.
Sunderland’s afternoon unravelled further when substitute Luke O’Nien lunged recklessly into Matheus Nunes and was dismissed barely seven minutes after coming on. By then, the visitors were simply hanging on, outclassed and out-energised after a gruelling week that had included an impressive draw at Anfield.
Cherki’s display drew a standing ovation when he was withdrawn late on. His blend of flair and maturity — six chances created, five dribbles completed, seven ground duels won, and near-flawless passing — elevated City’s play throughout. Guardiola later praised him not for the spectacular moments, but for the simplicity with which he dictated phases of possession. It was the kind of complete performance he often cites as the blueprint for sustained excellence.
City climb back into second, sharpening the pressure on Arsenal ahead of another relentless stretch of fixtures. Sunderland, meanwhile, slide to seventh and leave Manchester knowing they were beaten by a side operating several gears higher.
For Guardiola, this was exactly the response he demanded — measured, dynamic, and uncompromising. For the rest of the league, it was an ominous reminder: Manchester City are accelerating again.
