Sunderland vs Manchester City: Can Citizens Cut Top Table Gap Against Undefeated Black Cats?
by Geoffrey Ejiga | by Geoffrey Ejiga
EPL: Two-Man Race at the Top
Only five points separate Arsenal at the top and Man City in second place. But City will get a chance to cut that gap to two if they win their game in hand against Sunderland. For Manchester, an immediate response is in order after the Gunners reasserted their commitment to ending their 21-year Premier League title drought with a commanding victory.
Villa, who were on a stellar 8-game winning streak, which involved a 2-1 win over Arsenal, were humiliated at the Emirates with a 4-1 thrashing in the second half. That win not only halted Aston Villa’s momentum as title contenders, but also sent a clear message to Pep Guardiola’s men that another second-place finish isn't on the agenda.
City's Tricky Test at Sunderland
Manchester City should be confident going into this Round 19 game after beating Sunderland 3-0 just four rounds ago. However, things aren't as easy as odds from the top online betting sites suggest.
The Black Cats are yet to taste defeat at home in the EPL this season, joining first-place Arsenal as the only team to do so. Sunderland have sent the likes of Arsenal and Aston Villa back home with only a point, while taking all three against Newcastle and Bournemouth.
Sunderland's ability to defend with composure, while cracking the toughest defences in their backyard, is something City must account for. While Sunderland haven't been as stellar as their next opponents, they've lost just as few games as City this season (4) and have conceded only one more goal (18).
What is City's true chance of ending Sunderland’s record, and what's the best play for bettors? See our expert’s Sunderland vs Manchester City prediction!
Dealing With City’s Unstoppable Offence
The Black Cats may boast defensive records matching the Citizens’ this season. However, the true difference lies in their firepower up front. City are undoubtedly the best attacking team so far, netting 43 goals (the most) in just 18 games (2.4 per game).
That's six goals more than Arsenal, with the second most and a whopping 23 more than Sunderland. Erling Haaland, Ryan Cherki, Tijjani Reijnders, and Phil Foden are all in remarkable form for City.
Haaland already leads the league with 19 goals in Round 18, which is eight more than Igor Thiago’s 11 in second place. As for Assists, Cherki is level with Bruno at the top (7), but with four games less. Reijnders now has a G/A in three straight games, while Foden has 9 G/A to his name in 16 games.
In the first leg, it was Cherki and Foden that stole the show. Phil scored a goal and assisted, while Ryan's two assists for Foden and Dias were enough to make him the player of the match. The question now is, can Sunderland survive an onslaught from the team with the third most goals in Europe?
The answer might lie in the Black Cats' ability to net goals of their own, in hopes of avoiding a scoreline similar to the first leg. The problem is, Sunderland attackers haven't been prolific this season. Their highest scorer, Wilson Isidor, is on four goals and hasn't scored in nine straight games.
However, Sunderland captain and former Arsenal player, Granit Xhaka, is the one City must watch closely. He's Sunderland's highest-rated player so far and has the third-most assists in the league this season (5).
Sunderland is yet to lose in all six games where Xhaka got on the score sheet with a goal or assists. So, walking away with points against City might all depend on how Xhaka performs for Sunderland on Thursday.
