Manchester City face Sunderland at the Etihad Stadium this afternoon looking to extend their winning start to the season to five Premier League games.
CityThe side have also made an impressive start in the Champions League and League Cup and were expected to beat Wearside, but manager Enzo Maresca struck a cautious tone ahead of the game.
“I watched three or four of their games in the last two days. I know them, how strong they are and feel we need a top performance to beat them and win 100 per cent. I watched the game against Arsenal live [in last Saturday’s 2-0 defeat]and then again in the past two days. If you watch carefully, you will know how strong they are. I personally don’t think they should have lost that game,” he said.
“They are very strong and well-coached. They have had time together and you can see what they want to do with and without the ball. My feeling is that on Sunday it will be the toughest game since the start of the season. If you watch them play you won’t be surprised [at how well they have done]because you realize how good they are, with and without the ball, how aggressive they are, the number of duels they win every game.
Sunderland will head into the trip feeling confident after a successful return to Europe in midweek. Head coach Regis Le Bris, whose side beat AZ Alkmaar 1-0, is keen to emphasize the quality of his squad rather than worry too much about the opponents they have spent huge sums of money to build.
“Manchester City has players everywhere,” the Frenchman said with a smile. “So if we start focusing on their strength, we’re not going to be able to compete. It’s better to focus on us, how do we manage their threat and how do we create that threat? I think we’re better at that.”
Manchester City vs Sunderland recent form and statistics
- Manchester City striker Erling Haaland has played against 25 Premier League teams and scored against 24 of them. Sunderland are at the top of the list.
- Manchester City have kept clean sheets in their past four games in all competitions
- Manchester City have lost just two of their last 30 Premier League games
- Sunderland have faced Manchester City in 14 Premier League games without a win
- Manchester City won the corresponding match 3-0 last season
Where to watch Manchester City vs Sunderland: TV and online live streaming
Manchester City’s match against Sunderland kicks off at 2pm on Sunday. You can watch the action on Sky Sports Super Sunday and stream it live on the Sky Go app.
For global broadcast details see Premierleague.com.