Match Day Thread Manchester City FC v Sunderland AFC - Saturday 6th December 2025 - KO 15:00

I can’t see him resting Xhaka or Sadiki. Could be wrong.

 

I think they’ll play but it’ll be ridiculously worrying

 

Oh I’ll be beside myself. Have to trust the lads, though.

 

Can we trust the referee?

 

Bollox

 

Did I say something funny?

 

I didn't mean he should play, just that he isn't injured anymore

 

Don't think he will rest either Xhaka or Sadiki. It will be a worry but RLB and the lads themselves will want to play. I think Sadiki got away with one that could have been a yellow at Liverpool mind.

Fancy us for a point tomorrow and am currently talking myself down from thinking we could nick a win.

 

I thought Sidiki did a foul against Liverpool that would usually warrant a yellow but he never got one.

 

Aye, should’ve been booked the other night

 

Sunderland Head Coach Régis Le Bris hopes that their midweek draw with Liverpool at Anfield can act as the ideal experience for his team, who are now turning their attentions to their Premier League clash with Manchester City on Saturday.
The Lads head to the Etihad Stadium to take on Pep Guardiola’s formidable side who have been one of the titans of English football in recent history, winning six out of the last eight Premier League titles.
Chemsdine Talbi’s strike in their 1-1 draw with Liverpool held the Premier League champions on their own turf at Anfield on Wednesday evening. In the eyes of the head coach, this can act as the perfect springboard for another mammoth task in the space of three days.
“We are building our confidence through different experiences like our collective knowledge, which is positive,” said Le Bris.
“Manchester City is probably one of the best teams in this league with the ball so we know that the pitch is big and that we’ll face one of the toughest challenges this season.
"Another tough challenge but it's another exciting one, once again.
Régis Le BrisSunderland Head Coach
“This league is like that. You don’t have time to recover. We switch on and we go again. But we are looking forward to playing this game.”
Erling Haaland poses City’s main threat, standing outright as the division’s top scorer with 15 goals to his name.
Discussing the Norwegian, Le Bris added: “He did well against Fulham once again. When he has time and connection in the middle, they are really dangerous in that part of the pitch.
“We’ll prepare so that we are not too exposed in that area.
“It will be different but it’s still important to stay alert. We won’t have the choice, we know how strong Manchester can be.”

Manchester City are mounting a charge for the Premier League title and come into the game with recent form, winning their last six home league games at the Etihad Stadium.
Last time out, City were involved in a frantic game at Craven Cottage against Fulham. After leading the Cottagers 5-1, they came close to surrendering their lead with the game finishing 5-4.
It gave Le Bris food for thought heading into the game. He said: “It showed that Manchester City can concede goals and they have their own weaknesses so it’s like that, trying to manage their strengths and trying to open the opportunities to score. Let’s see if we can get the balance.”
Sunderland picked up no new injury worries ahead of the game from Merseyside. Dennis Cirkin, Habib Diarra and Leo Hjelde all continue to work their way towards full fitness.

 

Pep giving us a fair few compliments in his presser
Rodri is out

 

It won’t be easy

it’s another big effort, but we have the ability to be flexible up top for energy so it’s possible.

feel like we were city’s bogey team in our last prem spell and whilst they’re a threat they can be got at.

I think we’ll do it

 

id be disappointed if they got a yellow but ultimately we have to play who is in front of us.
Would be an awful shame for either to miss Newcastle mind.

 

we go to the 442 out of possession with him alongside the striker

 

Nice to hear (or read) words like that from one of the most respected managers in the game! Still blows my mind how far we've come in just a few years...

 

I'm sick of headlines like "Liverpool held to a draw" **** that
We were held to a draw by a lucky Liverpool side

Man City is going to be a tough game, but we've shown we can match anyone on our day and it's rare us having an off day at the moment.

Game could go any way, but I'd bet us to get at least a point


We can't rest our best players. As much as the Derby is important, I expect rlb to treat it as any other game. Same as Man City

 

The duo have already come through a handful of games without picking up their fifth yellow and the Sunderland head coach looks set to back them to do so again. After a strong team performance at Anfield in which the Black Cats were good value for their 1-1 draw, Le Bris wants to have the best chance possible of landing another result.

“Today it shows that we can win points everywhere,” Le Bris said. “So maybe it means that we'll have this opportunity against City. So we'll try to play with our best team, knowing that this [suspension] problem can appear. At the minute I think our players managed the situation properly.”

“Maybe the players are a little bit [disappointed] because it was possible we had this opportunity to score the second goal, but mainly they were proud of the way they played because we had different phases in that game,” Le Bris said.

“Dominant with the ball, good in our 4-4-2. Then we worked hard in our back five, 5-4-1 in the low block. So different scenarios, different phases, different emotions, at the end we were consistent.

“We had this opportunity to score the second goal, but it's a good result for both teams. We started well, the first half was interesting with and without the ball. Probably we didn't believe enough that it was possible to score and we did it in the beginning of the second half. I think we were even a bit surprised to have time and space to build up the play and probably they didn't expect to be at that level. We spoke about this final third and the way it was possible to disturb their back line. We expected Salah as well to come on the pitch and to change a bit the dynamics, so we were prepared. We are positive [about the result].”

 

It’s just another 3 points if pure objective is survival. Resting them is like taking an additional 1 game ban when still need to get through another 4 afterwards without another booking.