Man City must show dominance if they want to challenge Arsenal for the Premier League crown. This fixture with Sunderland is a must-win for Pep Guardiola's men, who are five points back in the standings with a game in hand.
My Sunderland vs. Man City predictions and free betting picks for Thursday, January 1 are counting on Erling Haaland to step up.
Premier League predictions for Sunderland vs Man City
My Sunderland vs Man City best bet: Erling Haaland 2+ goals (+250 at Sports Interaction)
This clash will be 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.
Erling Haaland has scored 19 goals in 18 Premier League games for Manchester City this season. Before a silent trip to face Forest on December 27, he scored braces against both West Ham and Crystal Palace.
I'm counting on him to hit the ground running once more. I'll grab Sports Interaction's superb +250 return for Haaland scoring at least two goals in Sunderland.
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Sunderland vs Man City same-game parlay (SGP)
Erling Haaland 2+ goals
Rayan Cherki 1+ shots on target
Man City most corners
Sunderland most cards
Rayan Cherki has been involved in eight goals in his last nine Premier League appearances for Man City (one goal, seven assists). He both scored and assisted in a game for the first time against Nottingham Forest last time out. I believe his form will make him stand out again against Sunderland.
To get my SGP to a solid +1150 return I'm adding corners and cards.
City average 5.61 corners per match, the fourth-highest in the league, with Sunderland second from bottom at 3.56.
Moving on to cards, Sunderland's average stands at two per event, while City is at 1.61. At home, Sunderland are third in the Premier League when it comes to cards' average, at 2.33. City away is at 1.89.
Sunderland vs Man City odds
Sunderland vs Man City live odds
Sunderland vs Man City opening odds
- Moneyline: Sunderland +625 | Man City -250
- Draw: +360
- Over/Under: Over 2.5 | Under 2.5
How to watch Sunderland vs Man City
| Location | Stadium of Light, Sunderland, England |
| Date | Thursday, January 1, 2026 |
| Time | 3:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | USA |
| Weather | 42F, 19 mph winds, 20% PoP. |
| Sunderland Recent EPL form | D-D-W-L-D |
| Man City Recent EPL form | W-W-W-W-W |
Sunderland vs Man City key injuries
Sunderland: Dan Ballard CB (Out), Reinildo Mandava LB (Out), Arthur Masuaku LB (Out), Noah Sadiki CM (Out), Habib Diarra CM (Out), Bertrand Traoré RW (Out), Chemsdine Talbi FW (Out).
Man City: John Stones CB (Questionable), Rayan Aït-Nouri LB (Out), Mateo Kovacic CM (Out), Jeremy Doku FW (Out), Oscar Bobb RW (Questionable), Omar Marmoush FW (Out).
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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