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By CRAIG HOPE, CHIEF FOOTBALL REPORTER Published: 09: 24 AEDT, 2 January 2026 | Updated: 10: 58 AEDT, 2 January 2026 84 View comments Arsenal only took a point here, so perhaps this qualifies as par over the course of a Premier League title race. But Sunderland needed stoppage-time to rescue a draw on that occasion. Here, it was Manchester City more so grateful to escape all square. Consider, though, that Regis Le Bris’ side were missing half a dozen to AFCON, and it feels more like two points dropped for Pep Guardiola than one gained. It leaves City four behind Arsenal at the halfway stage. But just as irritating as the outcome for Guardiola should be large patches of a scratchy performance, especially on the back of eight straight wins in all competitions. The order at the top of the table was starting to feel increasingly fragile, and not because of a vulnerability in North London.   Rather, it was the sound of wheels turning in the North West that was humming with familiar menace. They have been like a night train of late, gathering momentum as if under the cover of darkness, given the spotlight on pace-setters Arsenal. But here at the Stadium of Light it was they who were rattled. They remain on track, of course - one draw against hosts unbeaten in their own back yard does not derail a team with this much talent - but this was unconvincing and City’s best spells were fleeting at either end of a contest in which Le Bris’ men fought that little bit harder and ran that little bit faster. It was also a game more entertaining than the scoreline suggests. ‘A really good game, ’ said Guardiola, who emerged in rejoice and not regret. ‘We take the point. We could not score in the six-yard box - how many times were we in the six-yard box? We could not convert, and of course the threat that they have, they are really good. So I’m really pleased by the performance, especially in the second half. They are so physical, they are so strong. We take the point. ’ Erling Haaland was kept at bay as Sunderland held Man City to a 0-0 draw on New Year's Day Sunderland still have not lost a Premier League match at the Stadium of Light this season It felt ominous when City began with exclusive ownership of the ball and scored after six minutes, only for Bernardo Silva to find his heel offside. A sense of foreboding, however, soon made way for opportunity for Sunderland. For all of their early territory, City were camped in the home half but had forgotten the mallet. Savinho was seeing plenty of the ball and doing nothing with it. Erling Haaland was not seeing much of anything at all, bar the imposing presence of minder Nordi Mukiele. At just £9. 5m from PSG, the centre-back would perhaps rank as the best value signing of the summer, had Sunderland not got Granit Xhaka for only a few million more from Leverkusen. The captain orchestrated his side’s revival. With Sunderland suddenly on top, Guardiola waved his annoyance when Matheus Nunes cleared carelessly - the manager wanted a pass, not a punt - and from that City needed Ruben Dias to beat Brian Brobbey to Trai Hume’s cross inside the six-yard area. Dias was too smart on that occasion but, when it became a battle of body and not mind, Brobbey was soon the victor.   The pair fought in pursuit of a ball over the top. Dias fell at the feet of the stronger man and Brobbey was only denied an opening goal by the legs of Gianluigi Donnarumma. The Italian goalkeeper stayed down and signalled for treatment, but it felt as much like a cunning timeout. City needed it. Their fans had asked the home crowd as to the whereabouts of their ‘famous atmosphere’ after the dominant start. Well, now they had it. Next it was Phil Foden infuriating Guardiola and stoking still further the locals. He did pass rather than clear inside his own area - the problem was his short ball went straight to Sunderland’s Eliezer Mayenda, whose snap shot was deflected wide.   Foden soon corrected his error at the other end and, belatedly, we had City’s first effort on target in the 37th minute, Haaland connecting with his team-mate’s pull-back only for Robin Roefs to repel his low steer. It was one of only three touches in the penalty area for Haaland before half-time, and so it was an interval that arrived not a moment too soon City, especially given the scare of Hume heading narrowly over from Xhaka’s cross in stoppage-time. Guardiola responded by bringing on Ballon D’Or winner Rodri at the break, but City’s improvement was not immediate. Savinho swiped hopelessly over from Ryan Cherki’s centre and it was not long before the Brazilian was replaced by Jeremy Doku, albeit with an injury that Guardiola says ‘does not look good’.   Forward-thinking left back Josko Gvardiol was then thrown on before the hour but, for all the changes, nothing changed. Donnarumma was again needed to keep out Mayenda after Enzo Le Fee had opened up City’s defence. For Manchester City, they could only close the gap to Arsenal by a point at the top of the table Jeremy Doku was denied a certain goal by the face of the outstanding Nordi Mukiele late on Sunderland (4-2-3-1): Roefs 7; Hume 7, Mukiele 8, Alderete 7, Cirkin 7; Xhaka 7. 5, Geertruida 6. 5; Mayenda 7, Le Fee 7, Adingra 6. 5; Brobbey 7 (Isidor 58, 6) Subs: Patterson, Neil, Rigg, Isidor, Mundle, Hjelde, H Jones, O'Nien, Tutierov Manager: Regis Le Bris 7 Man City (4-2-3-1): Donnarumma 7; Nunes 5, Dias 6, Ake 6, O’Reilly 5. 5 (Gvardiol 58, 6. 5); Gonzalez 5. 5 (Rodri 46, 6. 5), Silva 6. 5; Cherki 6. 5, Foden 6, Savinho 5 (Doku 52, 6. 5); Haaland 6 Subs: Trafford, Khusanov, Lewis, Reijnders, Mukasa, Heskey Manager: Pep Guardiola 6 Ref: J Gillett 7 It was only inside the final 25 minutes that City began to reverse the direction of play, and Guardiola’s substitutes showed the motivation behind their introduction. In what was their best chance, Gvardiol strode unnoticed between the home centre backs and Rodri landed the ball on his brow from deep.   It looked as if the Croatian had twisted his frame to turn the game when looping a header on goal, only for Roefs to flip behind for a corner. Gvardiol later hit the post and Doku was denied a certain goal by the face of the outstanding Mukiele. The French defender was again on the scene during a goalmouth scramble in the final minute, but by then we knew it was not to be City’s night. They cannot afford too many more like this if they are to surge past Arsenal, in what could yet be the final leg of Guardiola’s journey.

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