Visiting the Stadium of Light is never easy, but we expect City to extend their impressive winning streak.
Best bets for Sunderland vs Manchester City
- Erling Haaland to score and Manchester City to win at odds of 1.80 on 1xBet
- Both teams to score at odds of 1.85 on 1xBet
- Second half with the most goals at odds of 2.00 on 1xBet
Our analysis: Form of both teams
Score prediction - Sunderland 1-2 Manchester City
Goalscorers Prediction - Sunderland: Brian Brobbey - Manchester City: Erling Haaland, Rayan Cherki
Sunderland’s recent performance has declined slightly following an impressive start to their return to the Premier League. They head into their first game of 2026 with just one win across five matches and having scored only three goals in December. However, they have been difficult to beat at home, which gives them confidence. Those backing goals in this matchup may also want to secure extra value by checking the 1xBet Promo Code before placing a bet.
Meanwhile, Manchester City are currently in excellent form. They’ve won eight consecutive matches across all competitions and are currently just two points behind leaders Arsenal. Their offensive performance has been exceptional, as they have scored three or more goals in five of their last six league matches.
Probable lineups for Sunderland vs Manchester City
Sunderland expected lineup: Roefs, Hume, Mukiele, Alderete, Cirkin, Xhaka, Geertruida, Rigg, Le Fee, Adingra, Brobbey
Manchester City expected lineup: Donarumma, Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly, Silva, Reijnders, Gonzalez, Cherki, Foden, Haaland
Haaland firing City to victory
Erling Haaland’s form recently has been so strong that there isn’t any real value in picking him as a goalscorer alone. He did not record a goal or an assist in the 2-1 victory over Nottingham Forest. However, this was only the sixth time he failed to do so in the 2025/26 Premier League season.
Both sides are currently missing several players, primarily due to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. Even with squad gaps, matches like this can still offer angles — especially if you compare odds across the Best Betting Sites guide.
Sunderland is without six players, including significant absences such as Noah Sadiki, Reinildo, and Chemsdine Talbi. Meanwhile, City are missing Rayan Ait-Nouri and Omar Marmoush over in Morocco, while the likes of Jeremy Doky, John Stones, and Oscar Bobb remain sidelined.
The Cityzens are better equipped to manage these absences, as demonstrated by their current winning streak. While the Black Cats are going to put up a challenge, City are likely to come out on top.
- Sunderland vs Manchester City Bet 1:Erling Haaland to score and Manchester City to win at odds of 1.80 on 1xBet
The strength of the Stadium of Light
Although Manchester City won 3-0 when these teams met earlier this month, this upcoming match is expected to be more competitive. Regis Le Bris’ men have been in excellent form at home in 2025/26, and are unbeaten in eight home league games. Notably, both Arsenal and Aston Villa failed to secure three points when they visited the Stadium of Light this season.
Furthermore, Sunderland have also scored in all of their matches at the Stadium of Light, recording two or more goals on five separate occasions. While City have kept plenty of clean sheets lately, Forest, Fulham, and Leeds United have successfully scored against them in recent fixtures. The Black Cats will be backing themselves to cause problems, regardless of the final result.
- Sunderland vs Manchester City Bet 2:Both teams to score at odds of 1.85 on 1xBet
Sunderland’s second-half performance
An analysis of Sunderland’s fixtures this season reveals a significant trend regarding their performance in the second half. The team are considerably more active after the interval.
The Black Cats have scored more than twice as many goals in the second half (14) compared to the first (6). They also concede more frequently after halftime, with 10 goals against them in the second period compared to eight in the first. This pattern suggests they may be able to frustrate Pep Guardiola’s team for long periods as they pursue a result.
Manchester City also tend to be slightly more productive in the second half. Given that the visitors concede more frequently after the break and Sunderland score more during that time, the second half of this encounter is expected to be highly competitive.
- Sunderland vs Manchester City Bet 3: Second half with the most goals at odds of 2.00 on 1xBet