Premier League Matchweek 19 | Stadium of Light | Thursday, January 1, 2026
Sunderland host Manchester City at the Stadium of Light on New Year’s Day (8:00 PM GMT, 3:00 PM ET) in a clash that pits the season’s surprise package against the relentless title challengers. City sit second on 40 points, five behind Arsenal, riding a six-match winning streak across all competitions. Sunderland occupy seventh place with 28 points, the best-performing promoted side and sitting above established clubs like Newcastle and Chelsea.
The stakes are clear. City need maximum points to maintain pressure on the leaders, while Sunderland aim to protect an extraordinary home record that has seen them remain unbeaten at the Stadium of Light all season. A victory for the Black Cats would genuinely push them into the European qualification conversation, an astonishing achievement for a newly promoted club.
City’s Dominance in the Fixture
The head-to-head record heavily favors the visitors. City have won the last eight meetings between these sides, including a comfortable 3-0 victory at the Etihad just three weeks ago on December 6. At the Stadium of Light specifically, City have won four of the last six encounters, with Sunderland managing just one win and one draw. City have recorded five wins by two or more goals in the last 10 meetings overall, underlining their historical superiority.
Sunderland’s Home Resilience
Despite recent mixed form overall (W2-D2-L2 in their last six), Sunderland’s home record tells a different story. They have won two and drawn one of their last three at the Stadium of Light (1.67 goals for, 0.67 against per game), part of an unbeaten home run that spans all nine fixtures this season (five wins, four draws). They recently beat Newcastle 1-0 and have conceded fewer than 1.5 goals in every home match this campaign, showcasing defensive organization under Régis Le Bris.
City’s Unstoppable Form
Manchester City arrive in ruthless form: W6-D0-L0 across their last six matches, scoring 3.17 goals per game while conceding just 0.83. Their away record shows three consecutive wins (2.67 goals for, 1.67 against per game), including high-scoring victories like 5-4 at Fulham and 2-1 at Nottingham Forest. Erling Haaland is averaging a goal every 75 minutes during this winning run, suggesting City’s attack remains lethal despite occasional defensive lapses.
Tactical Battleground
Sunderland operate with disciplined possession (44 percent, 11.2 shots per game) in a 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-1-1 shape, relying on the midfield pivot of Granit Xhaka and Lutsharel Geertruida to disrupt City’s rhythm and release Simon Adingra on the counter. City dominate possession (63 percent, 17.5 shots per game) and will deploy Rayan Cherki and Phil Foden in the half-spaces to break down Sunderland’s low block. The key battle will be Brian Brobbey against Ruben Dias, with Brobbey’s physical hold-up play representing Sunderland’s primary outlet.
AFCON Crisis Decimates Sunderland
The Africa Cup of Nations has devastated Sunderland’s squad depth. Six first-team players depart: Reinildo, Bertrand Traoré, Chemsdine Talbi, Habib Diarra, Noah Sadiki and Arthur Masuaku. Dennis Cirkin and Timothée Pembélé must play full matches with zero rotation options. Aji Alese remains doubtful with a shoulder injury, further limiting defensive cover.
City lose Rayan Aït-Nouri and Omar Marmoush to AFCON, while Mateo Kovačić (ankle, out until February) and Oscar Bobb (muscle) remain sidelined. Jeremy Doku faces a late fitness test on a leg injury, with John Stones also doubtful.
Probable Lineups
Sunderland (4-2-3-1): Roefs; Hume, Mukiele, Alderete, Cirkin; Xhaka, Geertruida; Rigg, Le Fée, Adingra; Brobbey.
Manchester City (4-3-2-1): Donnarumma; Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, Lewis; Bernardo Silva, Nico Gonzalez, Reijnders; Cherki, Foden; Haaland.
Numbers to Watch
Eight consecutive wins for City in this fixture. Nine home matches unbeaten for Sunderland this season. Six consecutive wins for City across all competitions. Six Sunderland players departed for AFCON. Under 1.5 goals conceded by Sunderland in every home match this season.
Where to Watch
UK viewers can watch on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Ultra HDR. US coverage is on Peacock (3:00 PM ET, 12:00 PM PT). International streams include FuboTV (Canada). Referee Jarred Gillett oversees proceedings in freezing North East conditions (2°C).
