Pep Guardiola disregarded the concept that there are solely two groups left within the Premier League title race forward of Manchester Metropolis’s assembly with Sunderland on New 12 months’s Day.
Arsenal beat Aston Villa 4-1 on the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday to go 5 factors away from second-place Metropolis on the prime of the desk, with Unai Emery’s facet now six factors off the tempo.
A victory for Metropolis, who’ve gained every of their final six league outings, would transfer them again inside two factors of the Gunners on the halfway level of the marketing campaign.
However Guardiola, who additionally confirmed Rodri might function on Thursday, was fast to level out that it was nonetheless tight, particularly with high-flying Sunderland up subsequent for his facet.
Requested if Metropolis and the Gunners had been the one contenders for the title, Guardiola mentioned: “Are you positive?
“Just a few weeks [ago], it was simply Arsenal, two days in the past, it was three [teams] within the title race. And now it is only one. We are going to see.”
On Sunderland, he added: “They’re so powerful. I bear in mind in my first season after I went there, the gang was unbelievable. They’ve overwhelmed Newcastle [United]. Arsenal and Aston Villa couldn’t win there.
“Will probably be actually tough, however on the identical time, we’re prepared.”
Our final objectives on the Stadium of Gentle pic.twitter.com/OE9AyIRoeK
— Manchester Metropolis (@ManCity) December 31, 2025
Sunderland presently sit seventh within the desk and will transfer to fifth in the event that they get a win over Metropolis.
They’re unbeaten on the Stadium of Gentle this season, avoiding defeat in every of their first 9 dwelling matches of a Premier League season for simply the third time (W5 D4).
Sunderland acquired a 1-1 draw with Leeds United of their final such match, with Simon Adingra netting their aim, and Regis Le Bris is hoping he can use that as a springboard to continue to grow in confidence.
“It was apparent that this era was a busy interval with fewer gamers, so it means extra alternatives to get sport time,” Le Bris mentioned of the winger.
“He’s nonetheless a gifted participant – it’s simply generally you possibly can have a tricky interval with much less confidence and so forth.
“He labored onerous, and he’s well-connected with the membership now, so it’s not a shock. I hope it can proceed.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Sunderland – Granit Xhaka
Granit Xhaka has 5 assists within the Premier League this season, probably the most by a Sunderland participant earlier than the flip of the yr in a marketing campaign within the competitors since Andy Reid in 2009-10 (six).
Towards Leeds, Xhaka made probably the most final-third entries (13) and made 24 passes into the ultimate third, greater than some other participant on the pitch, in addition to creating three possibilities.
— Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) December 31, 2025
Manchester Metropolis – Rayan Cherki
Rayan Cherki has been concerned in eight objectives in his final 9 Premier League appearances for Man Metropolis (one aim, seven assists).
He each scored and assisted in a sport for the primary time towards Nottingham Forest final day out, in what was his thirteenth look.
MATCH PREDICTION: MANCHESTER CITY WIN
Since drawing 2-2 in April 2014, Man Metropolis have gained their final seven Premier League matches towards Sunderland, final having fun with an extended successful run towards them between December 2002 and December 2009 (9 wins).
And Sunderland have misplaced their final three Premier League dwelling video games towards Metropolis, having gained 4 in a row towards them on the Stadium of Gentle earlier than this.
Sunderland haven’t misplaced their first league sport in any of the final seven calendar years (W3 D4) since a 1-0 dwelling loss to Barnsley in 2018 within the Championship.
Nevertheless, Metropolis are equally as harmful of their opening match; they’ve gained their first league sport in 18 of the final 19 calendar years, together with the final 13 in a row. The one exception on this run was a 1-0 defeat to Sunderland on New 12 months’s Day 2012.
Metropolis have misplaced simply one in every of their final 30 away Premier League matches towards promoted golf equipment (W23 D6), dropping 3-2 to Norwich Metropolis in September 2019. They’re unbeaten of their final 17 since that defeat at Carrow Street (W14 D3).
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Sunderland – 17.5%
Draw – 19.6%
Manchester Metropolis – 62.9%
