Sunderland vs Manchester City: Predictions, Betting odds, Lineups, Preview

Explore Ladbrokes' detailed preview for Sunderland vs Manchester City in the Premier League. Stats, odds, predictions, and lineups for the 20:00 GMT match.

• Fixture: Sunderland vs Manchester City
• Date: Thursday, 01 January 2026
• Kick-off: 20:00 GMT
• Venue: Stadium of Light

Sunderland will be looking to bounce back from their heavy defeat against Manchester City in their last encounter. With a solid defensive performance in their recent draw against Leeds, they might set up to frustrate City's attack. However, Manchester City's form has been impeccable, winning their last five matches, which suggests they'll dominate possession and create numerous scoring opportunities.

Despite the possible injuries to key players like Doku and Stones, Manchester City's depth should see them through. Sunderland's recent results show they can be tough to break down, but City's attacking prowess, led by Haaland, could prove too much. Expect a competitive match, but City's quality should shine through in the end.

Match Prediction: Sunderland 1-3 Manchester City

Sunderland have shown resilience in their recent outings, drawing their last two matches against Leeds and Brighton. This suggests a team that's hard to beat, even if they're not always securing the win. Their victory over Newcastle at home indicates they can be a force on their day, but the heavy loss to Manchester City in their most recent encounter might dent their confidence heading into this match.

Recent Premier League Results:

• Draw: 1-1 vs Leeds (H)
• Draw: 0-0 vs Brighton (A)
• Win: 1-0 vs Newcastle (H)
• Loss: 0-3 vs Manchester City (A)
• Draw: 1-1 vs Liverpool (A)

Manchester City are in scintillating form, winning their last five matches, including a convincing 3-0 victory over Sunderland. Their ability to score freely, as seen in the 5-4 win against Fulham, shows their attacking threat. With such momentum, City will be confident of securing another win, even with several key players sidelined due to injury.

Recent Premier League Results:

• Win: 2-1 vs Nottingham Forest (A)
• Win: 3-0 vs West Ham (H)
• Win: 3-0 vs Crystal Palace (A)
• Win: 3-0 vs Sunderland (H)
• Win: 5-4 vs Fulham (A)

Manchester City have dominated recent encounters with Sunderland, winning all five of their last meetings. The most recent clash saw City triumph 3-0 at home, while their previous visit to Sunderland resulted in a 2-0 victory. This pattern suggests City have the upper hand historically, making it a tough challenge for Sunderland to overturn.

Recent Premier League Results

• Manchester City 3-0 Sunderland (06 Dec 2025)
• Sunderland 0-2 Manchester City (05 Mar 2017)
• Manchester City 2-1 Sunderland (13 Aug 2016)
• Sunderland 0-1 Manchester City (02 Feb 2016)
• Manchester City 4-1 Sunderland (26 Dec 2015)

• Reinildo (International Duty) – Out

• Bertrand Traore (International Duty) – Out

• Chemsdine Talbi (International Duty) - Out

• Habib Diarra (International Duty) – Out

• Noah Sadiki (International Duty) – Out

• Arthur Masuaku (International Duty) - Out

• Ajibola Alese (Shoulder) – Doubt

• Rayan Ait-Nouri (International Duty) – Out

• Omar Marmoush (International Duty) - Out

• Jeremy Doku (Leg) – Doubt

• John Stones (Muscle) - Doubt

• Mateo Kovacic (Ankle) – Out

• Oscar Bobb (Muscle) - Doubt

• Predicted lineup: Roefs (GK), Hume (DF), Mukiele (DF), Alderete (DF), Cirkin (DF), Xhaka (MF), Geertruida (MF), Rigg (MF), Le Fee (MF), Adingra (MF), Brobbey (AT)

Sunderland are likely to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Roefs in goal and a back four of Hume, Mukiele, Alderete, and Cirkin. This setup should allow them to be compact and counter-attack through the likes of Brobbey and Adingra, with Le Fee pulling the strings in midfield.

• Predicted lineup: Donnarumma (GK), Nunes (DF), Dias (DF), Gvardiol (DF), O'Reilly (DF), Silva (MF), Nico (MF), Reijnders (MF), Cherki (MF), Foden (MF), Haaland (AT)

Manchester City's predicted 4-3-2-1 formation will see Donnarumma between the posts and a solid backline of Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, and O'Reilly. This setup should enable them to control the game, with Silva, Nico, and Reijnders dictating play in midfield and feeding the ball to the dangerous duo of Cherki and Foden behind Haaland.

• Brobbey vs Dias: Brobbey's pace and strength will be tested against Dias's defensive solidity.

• Adingra vs Silva: Adingra's creativity will need to shine to outmanoeuvre Silva's midfield mastery.

• Le Fee (Sunderland): Le Fee's ability to control the tempo and distribute the ball will be crucial for Sunderland.

• Nico (Manchester City): Nico's role in breaking up play and starting attacks will be vital for Manchester City.

Sunderland vs Manchester City at 20:00 GMT on Thursday, 01 January 2026 is being broadcast live for viewers in the UK on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Ultra HDR

Ladbrokes is predicting that the score will be Sunderland 1-3 Manchester City in this match

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