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MANCHESTER CITY gave Arsenal the upper hand in the title race as they fell victim to the Sunderland challenge.
Regis Le Bris’ team extended their unbeaten run at the Stadium of Light to ten matches.
Man City lost ground on Arsenal in the title raceCredit: Getty
Pep Guardiola was left disheartened as Sunderland kept City from scoringCredit: Getty
The high-flying Sunderland faced off against the top contenders, leaving Pep Guardiola relieved to escape with a point and a bruised ego.
After a previous visit to the North East, serious questions about Guardiola’s rebuilding efforts arose. With uncertainty surrounding his future at the Etihad, more doubts emerged regarding the team's potential.
A 2-1 defeat on November 22 allowed Arsenal to pull six points ahead. However, that setback ignited a drive within the Cityzens that many believed was missing from Guardiola’s revamped squad.
A six-match winning streak brought them back into contention, but failing to overcome Sunderland handed the advantage back to the Gunners.
If Guardiola manages to lead City to a seventh Premier League title, this match will undoubtedly be remembered as a pivotal moment in the season after they faced a significant scare.
Sunderland aimed for a third consecutive strong performance after previously holding Arsenal and third-placed Aston Villa. Erling Haaland and his teammates quickly realized they were entering a challenging environment as an enthusiastic crowd awaited their arrival.
Despite having their home support, it was a daunting task for Le Bris’s side to end an eight-match losing streak against City, especially with six players away at AFCON and defensive stalwart Dan Ballard missing due to injury.
Although they suffered a 3-0 defeat at the Etihad less than a month ago, the Frenchman’s team was determined to fight hard to avoid another loss against their rivals from Manchester.
Forward Eliezer Mayenda, making his first start since August, replaced midfielder Chris Rigg, signaling their readiness to compete fiercely from the outset in hopes of ending a 12-year wait for a win over City.
Guardiola also made adjustments from the 2-1 victory at Nottingham Forest, with Nathan Ake earning a first league start since October, replacing Josko Gvardiol, while Savinho came in for Tijjani Reijnders.
City had an early goal from Bernardo Silva disallowed for offside, making a strong start by controlling possession and silencing the home crowd. “Where’s your famous atmosphere?” taunted the away fans.
This changed when Nordi Mukiele’s long ball sent Brian Brobbey racing down the right flank. The crowd erupted as the Dutchman held off Ruben Dias and attempted to score, but Gianluigi Donnarumma's impressive save denied him.
Now, the home fans cheered every tackle as Sunderland enjoyed a spell of pressure. Yet, Guardiola’s experience proved invaluable.
Bernardo Silva scored for City but his effort was ruled outCredit: Getty
It was the closest City came to a goal all gameCredit: Getty
Once Nico Gonzalez went down needing treatment, Guardiola gathered his players for a regroup, and they appeared to have weathered the storm.
Then, out of nowhere, Phil Foden was played in by Matheus Nunes and cut it back for the lurking Haaland, who finally had a chance after being well-contained by Mukiele.
Typically, the ruthless Norwegian would capitalize on such opportunities, but he miscalculated and shot directly at Robin Roefs from 12 yards.
Winger Savinho caused concern as he went down injuredCredit: AFP
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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