Sunderland have lost their last three Premier League home games against Man City, having won four in a row against them at the Stadium of Light before this.
Since drawing 2-2 in April 2014, Manchester City have won their last seven Premier League matches against Sunderland, last enjoying a longer winning run against them between December 2002 and December 2009 (nine wins).
This will be the third New Year’s Day meeting between Sunderland and Man City in the Premier League. The Black Cats won 1-0 at home in 2012, while the Citizens won 3-2 at the Etihad in 2015.
Sunderland haven’t lost their first league game in any of the last seven calendar years (W3 D4) since a 1-0 home loss to Barnsley in 2018 in the Championship.
Manchester City have won their first league game in 18 of the last 19 calendar years, including the last 13 in a row. The only exception in this run was a 1-0 defeat to Sunderland on New Year’s Day 2012.
Manchester City have scored in their last 32 Premier League matches in January since a 4-0 defeat to Everton in 2017, netting 28 goals in their last eight in January (W7 D1). It’s the longest run of scoring in January games in top-flight history, while across the Football League only Crewe Alexandra between 1960 and 1972 have had a longer run (36 in a row).
Manchester City have lost just one of their last 30 away Premier League matches against promoted clubs (W23 D6), losing 3-2 to Norwich City in September 2019. They’re unbeaten in their last 17 since that defeat at Carrow Road (W14 D3).
Manchester City have won their last six Premier League matches, their longest run in a single campaign since winning their final nine en route to the league title in 2023-24.
This will be Man City striker Erling Haaland’s first Premier League match at Sunderland’s Stadium of Light – the Norwegian has scored at 22 of the other 23 venues he’s played at (inc. the Etihad), failing only in three games at Anfield.
Rayan Cherki has been involved in eight goals in his last nine Premier League appearances for Man City (1 goal, 7 assists), both scoring and assisting in a game for the first time against Nottingham Forest last time out.
