Sunderland and Manchester City may be at opposite ends of the English Premier League table and that’s exactly why the three points available to them this Sunday, March 5th are so crucial. The two teams will meet at The Stadium of Light this weekend in Sunderland with Man City still in the title race and Sunderland sitting in the league basement. Man City’s is coming off of a 4-1 home win over Huddersfield in a fifth-round FA Cup replay on Wednesday while Sunderland was beaten 2-0 away by Everton in league action last weekend.
Sunderland vs Manchester City – Pinnacle Soccer Betting Line:
- Pinnacle currently lists Man City as the favorites to win the game at -347 with Sunderland +1044 and a draw at +539
Sunderland vs Manchester City – Head to Head:
- The two teams clashed on opening day of the current season with Man City winning 2-1 at home. They also met twice in league action last season with Man City winning 4-1 at home and 1-0 in Sunderland. The clubs have met 144 times in the past with Man City winning 69, losing 50 and drawing the other 25. Man City has won six in a row and seven of the last eight with the other match being a draw. Sunderland’s last win was1-0 at home in league action in November of 2013. Sunderland has three wins in the last 14 meetings.
Sunderland – A Closer Look:
Sunderland sits dead last in the 20-team Premier League and with David Moyes managing the club it’ll be a miracle if they don’t get relegated. They have 19 points out of a possible 78 this season and are two points back of Hull City and three behind Crystal Palace and Middlesbrough. On the bright side, if they can pass Middlesbrough they’ll be out of the relegation zone.
Sunderland has just five wins on the campaign to go along with four draws and 17 losses. They have 24 goals scored and have allowed 48 against. The Black Cats have three wins at home this season along with three draws and seven defeats with 14 goals for and 24 against. They have two wins, two draws and six losses in their past 10 league outings with 10 goals for and 20 against.
Moyes has some injury problems as midfielders Jack Rodwell and Lee Cattermole are both questionable while defender Jan Kirchhoff and forward Victor Anichebe are both sidelined. In addition, forward Duncan Watmore and midfielder Paddy McNair are both out for the season. However, defender Papy Djilobodji will return from suspension.
Manchester City – A Closer Look:
Manchester City is still in this year’s Premier League title race as they’re currently 11 points back of league-leading Chelsea and also have a game in hand. They’ve lost just four of their past 22 games in all competitions with 12 wins and six draws. However, they’ve won just 14 of their past 29 games overall. City enters the weekend with 52 points from 16 victories, four draws and five defeats with 51 goals scored and 29 conceded.
Away from home this season, Man City leads the league with their nine victories and four defeats with 23 goals for and 13 against. They have seven wins, a draw and two losses in their past 10 league matches with 19 goals for and 10 against. City also trails second-place Tottenham Hotspur by just one point with a game in hand and are two points in front of fourth-place Arsenal, three ahead of fifth-place Liverpool and four points upon sixth-place Manchester United.
Man City also has a game in hand on Liverpool. As far as injuries go for Sunday’s game, manager Pep Guardiola is hoping to welcome skipper Vincent Kompany back to the team, but it looks like forward Gabriel Jesus and midfielder Ilkay Gundogan will both be out for the remainder of the season.
Sunderland vs Manchester City – Takeaway:
Man City simply needs the points to remain in the title chase and Sunderland needs them to climb out of the relegation zone. But the difference here is that Sunderland will be happy with a draw.