Premier League Regular Season - 19
Sunderland 0 - 0 FT Manchester City
Match Statistics
Possession
Shots
Shots on Target
Expected Goals (xG)
Passes
Pass Accuracy
Corners
Fouls
Yellow Cards
Red Cards
Match Events
45'+5 S. Adingra
HT
↓ Nico ↑Rodri 46'
↓ Savinho ↑J. Doku 52'
↓ N. O'Reilly ↑J. Gvardiol 57'
58' ↓ B. Brobbey ↑W. Isidor
72' ↓ S. Adingra ↑R. Mundle
N. Ake 77'
↓ B. Silva ↑T. Reijnders 86'
FT
Player Cards
Season performance ratings for players in this match
Sunderland
Goalkeepers
Robin Roefs 
OCTOPUS
4
saves
4
saves
0
conceded
100%
save %
Defenders
Trai Hume 
STORMTROOPER
2
shots
2
shots
0
goals
0
on target
Nordi Mukiele 
SWEEPER
3
cleanups
3
cleanups
2
interceptions
1
blocks
Omar Alderete
SWEEPER
5
cleanups
5
cleanups
3
interceptions
2
blocks
Dennis Cirkin 
PROVOCATEUR
2
fouls won
2
fouls won
9
Duels Won
0
pens won
Midfielders
Lutsharel Geertruida
SWEEPER
3
cleanups
3
cleanups
2
interceptions
1
blocks
Granit Xhaka
SWEEPER
2
cleanups
2
cleanups
1
interceptions
1
blocks
Eliezer Mayenda
STORMTROOPER
2
shots
2
shots
0
goals
1
on target
Enzo Le Fée
SWEEPER
5
cleanups
5
cleanups
5
interceptions
0
blocks
Simon Adingra 
LATE SHIFT
15
late mins
15
late mins
72
total mins
72
entry
Forwards
Brian Brobbey
LATE SHIFT
15
late mins
15
late mins
58
total mins
58
entry
BENCH
Anthony Patterson 
SPECTATOR
0
saves
0
saves
0
conceded
0
minutes
Leo Fuhr Hjelde
LATE SHIFT
15
late mins
15
late mins
0
total mins
Started
entry
Luke O'Nien
LATE SHIFT
15
late mins
15
late mins
0
total mins
Started
entry
Dan Neil
LATE SHIFT
15
late mins
15
late mins
0
total mins
Started
entry
Chris Rigg
LATE SHIFT
15
late mins
15
late mins
0
total mins
Started
entry
Harrison Jones
LATE SHIFT
15
late mins
15
late mins
0
total mins
Started
entry
Wilson Isidor
LATE SHIFT
15
late mins
15
late mins
36
total mins
Started
entry
Timur Tutierov
LATE SHIFT
15
late mins
15
late mins
0
total mins
Started
entry
Romaine Mundle
LATE SHIFT
15
late mins
15
late mins
22
total mins
Started
entry
Manchester City
Goalkeepers
Gianluigi Donnarumma
OCTOPUS
4
saves
4
saves
0
conceded
100%
save %
Defenders
Matheus Nunes 
MAGNET
113
activity
113
activity
100
passes
13
duels
Rúben Dias
LATE SHIFT
15
late mins
15
late mins
94
total mins
Started
entry
Nathan Aké
LATE SHIFT
15
late mins
15
late mins
94
total mins
Started
entry
Nico O'Reilly
LATE SHIFT
15
late mins
15
late mins
57
total mins
57
entry
Midfielders
Bernardo Silva
SWEEPER
2
cleanups
2
cleanups
1
interceptions
1
blocks
Nico González
SWEEPER
2
cleanups
2
cleanups
2
interceptions
0
blocks
Phil Foden 
ARCHITECT
3
key passes
3
key passes
0
assists
48%
pass acc
Rayan Cherki
ARCHITECT
3
key passes
3
key passes
0
assists
55%
pass acc
Savinho
STORMTROOPER
2
shots
2
shots
0
goals
1
on target
Forwards
Erling Haaland
LATE SHIFT
15
late mins
15
late mins
94
total mins
Started
entry
BENCH
James Trafford
SPECTATOR
0
saves
0
saves
0
conceded
0
minutes
Joško Gvardiol
STORMTROOPER
3
shots
3
shots
0
goals
1
on target
Abdukodir Khusanov
LATE SHIFT
15
late mins
15
late mins
0
total mins
Started
entry
Rico Lewis
LATE SHIFT
15
late mins
15
late mins
0
total mins
Started
entry
Rodri
LATE SHIFT
15
late mins
15
late mins
49
total mins
Started
entry
Tijjani Reijnders
LATE SHIFT
15
late mins
15
late mins
9
total mins
Started
entry
Divine Mukasa
LATE SHIFT
15
late mins
15
late mins
0
total mins
Started
entry
Jérémy Doku 
DRIBBLER
6
dribbles
6
dribbles
8
attempts
75%
success %
Reigan Heskey
LATE SHIFT
15
late mins
15
late mins
0
total mins
Started
entry
Head to Head
| Date | Home | Score | Away | Competition | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 06/12/2025 | Manchester City | 3 - 0 | Sunderland | Premier League | Etihad Stadium |
| 05/03/2017 | Sunderland | 0 - 2 | Manchester City | Premier League | Stadium of Light |
| 13/08/2016 | Manchester City | 2 - 1 | Sunderland | Premier League | Etihad Stadium |
| 02/02/2016 | Sunderland | 0 - 1 | Manchester City | Premier League | Stadium of Light |
| 26/12/2015 | Manchester City | 4 - 1 | Sunderland | Premier League | Etihad Stadium |
| 22/09/2015 | Sunderland | 1 - 4 | Manchester City | League Cup | Stadium of Light |
06/12/2025
05/03/2017
13/08/2016
02/02/2016
26/12/2015
22/09/2015
Sunderland Win
Manchester City Win
Draw
League Standings
P: 19 GD: +25
P: 19 GD: +26
P: 19 GD: +7
P: 19 GD: +4
P: 19 GD: +11
P: 19 GD: +4
P: 19 GD: +2
P: 19 GD: 0
P: 19 GD: +2
P: 19 GD: +1
P: 19 GD: -1
P: 19 GD: +4
P: 19 GD: +2
P: 19 GD: +1
P: 19 GD: -6
P: 19 GD: -7
P: 19 GD: -12
P: 19 GD: -17
P: 19 GD: -17
League Standings
P: 24 GD: +29
P: 24 GD: +26
P: 24 GD: +9
P: 24 GD: +8
P: 24 GD: +15
P: 24 GD: +6
P: 24 GD: +4
P: 24 GD: -1
P: 24 GD: -1
P: 24 GD: 0
P: 23 GD: -2
P: 24 GD: -3
P: 24 GD: +2
P: 24 GD: +2
P: 24 GD: -4
P: 24 GD: -11
P: 24 GD: -11
P: 24 GD: -19
P: 23 GD: -19
AI-powered match analysis and previews to help you decide which games are worth watching
City's Firepower Meets an Immovable Object
Skip It Futmetrix Score: 26/100. This scoreless draw at Stadium of Light exposed the gap between Manchester City's relentless intensity and Sunderland's stubborn refusal to break—a tactical masterclass in defensive resolve that stunted the title contenders' momentum.
Dominance Without the Reward
Manchester City arrived at Stadium of Light as the second-place hunters, sitting on 41 points and riding a four-game winning streak. They announced their intent immediately: 68% possession, 14 shots, and a suffocating territorial advantage that pinned Sunderland into their own half for stretches. Yet for all their control, City generated just 2.18 expected goals—a damning indictment of their finishing precision. Nathan Akié anchored City's backline with a composed 7.9 rating, but the visitors' attacking third repeatedly misfired when it mattered most.
Sunderland's Midfield Fortress
The real story belonged to Enzo Le Fée, who turned in an 8.2-rated performance that earned him the match's standout accolade. Operating from midfield, the Sunderland engine room orchestrated a defensive balance that suffocated City's creativity. Two key passes from Le Fée sparked Sunderland's rare transitions, while Omar Alderete (7.9) marshalled the backline with the authority of a man playing his seventh consecutive match without defeat. Sunderland's 32% possession reflected their game plan perfectly: compact, organised, and lethal on the counter. They mustered just 0.80 xG but created genuine openings through economy of movement.
The Turning Point: City's Profligacy
City's 14 shots to Sunderland's 10 tells the story of a match decided by clinical finishing rather than stakes. The visitors' inability to convert their territorial dominance into goals—despite four shots on target—proved catastrophic for their title ambitions. Sunderland's four saves reflected goalkeeper heroics, but equally, City's forwards lacked the cutting edge required against a defence that has now drawn eight times this season. For Sunderland, this point elevates them to 30 points and extends their unbeaten run; for City, it's a missed opportunity to close the gap on leaders.
Key Questions
Did City create enough to win?
Yes. 2.18 xG and 14 shots proved City's dominance, but poor finishing and Sunderland's defensive discipline prevented conversion.
Was Sunderland's defensive performance sustainable?
Against City's elite finishing, yes—eight draws this season prove their compact structure works. Alderete and Le Fée were imperious.
What does this mean for City's title race?
A dropped point at a struggling side complicates their push. Second place (41 points) now feels precarious with leaders unchallenged.
How is the Futmetrix Score calculated?
The Futmetrix Score (0-100) combines multiple factors: match intensity, competitive balance, stakes importance, and entertainment value to help you decide if this match is worth watching.
New Year's Reckoning: City's Title Credentials Face Sunderland's Defiant Stand
Highly Entertaining Futmetrix Score: 76/100. This is a certified six-pointer—Manchester City's title ambitions collide with Sunderland's fight to stay in the conversation, and the gap between 2nd and 4th has never felt narrower.
The Setup
Manchester City arrive second with 25 points from 13 games, but their form is fractured: WLWWL reads like a team searching for consistency. Sunderland, fourth on 22 points, have steadied the ship with WLDDW—a pragmatic run that keeps them within striking distance. The stakes are through the roof. A City loss opens the title race wide; a Sunderland defeat risks them slipping into mid-table obscurity. This is the match that defines January.
Key Battle
Erling Haaland versus Brian Brobbey—the striker who's already scored three in five matches against the centre-forward emerging as Sunderland's unlikely hero. Brobbey's two goals and one assist in recent outings suggest a player rediscovering his edge. But Haaland remains the gravitational force: City's attack orbits him, and Phil Foden's creativity only amplifies the danger. Sunderland must suffocate space early or pay the price.
Our Prediction
City edge this 2-1. They absorb Sunderland's initial press, exploit the wings through Foden's incisive runs, and Granit Xhaka's midfield control isn't enough to stem the tide. Brobbey grabs a consolation, but City's hunger for points proves decisive.
Key Questions
Should I watch this match?
Absolutely. Two in-form teams separated by three points, title implications, and genuine uncertainty—this is Premier League football at its most compelling.
What's the predicted outcome?
Manchester City 2-1 Sunderland. City's attacking depth proves too much, but Sunderland's resilience earns them a goal.
Where are Sunderland and Manchester City in the league table?
Manchester City sit 2nd with 25 points; Sunderland are 4th with 22 points. Only three points separate them after 13 games.
What is Sunderland's current form?
Mixed but stabilising: WLDDW over their last five. Two wins, two draws, one loss—pragmatic rather than brilliant.
Who is the in-form player to watch?
Erling Haaland. Three goals in five matches (7.1 rating avg). He's City's focal point and Sunderland's primary concern.
How is the Futmetrix Score calculated?
The Futmetrix Score (0-100) combines multiple factors: match intensity, competitive balance, stakes importance, and entertainment value to help you decide if this match is worth watching.