Sunderland hosts Man City in their first home match of the New Year in the Premier League.
The Black Cats’ strong unbeaten record at the Stadium of Light will be tested by a City side that is in pursuit of the title this evening.
City comes into this match on an eight-game winning streak and has not lost to Sunderland since 2013, winning nine of their last ten encounters across all competitions.
Sunderland vs Man City – Match preview and team news
- Date: Thursday, 1 January 2026
- Kick-off: 8pm BST
- Venue: Stadium of Light, Sunderland
- Referee: Jarred Gillett
- VAR: Peter Bankes
- Last meeting: Man City 3-0 Sunderland, Premier League, 6 December 2025
Sunderland team news
Dan Ballard is unavailable after missing Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Leeds United due to injury. Le Bris mentioned that the defender is recovering well but will not be ready for this match. He hopes to have Ballard back for the next game, noting that the injury isn’t serious.
Luke O’Nien returns from a three-match suspension. Several players, including Habib Diarra and Bertrand Traoré, are currently participating in the Africa Cup of Nations.
Man City team news
Guardiola indicated that Rodri might “play a few minutes” after a two-month absence, making his return against Nottingham Forest last weekend. Jeremy Doku may also feature, last playing against Real Madrid in December.
Players like John Stones, Mateo Kovacic, and Oscar Bobb are unavailable due to injuries. Rayan Ait Nouri and Omar Marmoush are away at AFCON.
“We had several injured players and two at the AFCON,” Guardiola noted at his pre-match press conference. “Five injured players are returning, so our squad isn’t at its best, but we’re doing better on points compared to last season.”
Form
Sunderland: DLWDD
Le Bris’ team has lost only one of their last five games but has managed just one win. That defeat came from City last month, while their sole victory was against Newcastle United. They head into this match after two draws with Brighton and Burnley.
Man City: WWWWW
City is performing exceptionally well, winning all of their last eight matches dating back to November. After some defensive struggles in late November and early December, they have tightened up, conceding only two goals in their last six games.
Predicted lineups
Roefs; Cirkin, Mukiele, Hume; Le Fee, Geertruida, Xhaka, Rigg; Mayenda, Isidor.
Possible Man City XI: Donnarumma; O’Reilly, Gvardiol, Dias, Nunes; Reijnders, Gonzalez; Foden, Silva, Cherki; Haaland.
How to watch Sunderland vs Man City on TV?
The match will not be shown live on British television.
Read More – When does the 2026 January transfer window open?
See Also – The longest winless runs in the history of the Premier League
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