Manchester City vs Sunderland Predictions

• Both teams have scored in three of Man City’s last four games.
• City have conceded in eight of their last nine games.
• Both teams have scored in five of Sunderland’s last six games.

City looking to keep pressure on Arsenal

Manchester City sit five points adrift of league leaders Arsenal going into the latest round of fixtures and they may have lost more ground by the time their game against Sunderland kicks off on Saturday, as the Gunners are involved in the early kick off.

Pep Guardiola’s side have won back-to-back games going into this fixture but they haven’t been particularly convincing. City needed a late winner to beat struggling Leeds 3-2, and in midweek they nearly blew a four-goal lead against Fulham but held on for a 5-4 win.

Sunderland are enjoying an incredible season back in the Premier League with 23 points from 14 games, leaving them five points behind their hosts. The Black Cats have just one defeat in their last seven games and won’t allow City to have it all their own way at the Etihad this weekend.

Both teams to score a strong option

City have won eight of their last nine home games across all competitions but at just 1/4 to win they offer little appeal. A home win and both teams to score came under consideration, but the price on just both teams to score offers enough value here and is probably the better decision – given how unconvincing City have been in their last two wins.

City shipped four at Fulham and have just one clean sheet in their last nine games, while they have only failed to score themselves in two of their last 19 fixtures.

There have been goals at both ends in five of Sunderland’s last six games and they have only failed to score in two of their last 10. Regis Le Bris’ side also seem to raise their levels against the league’s big teams, having beaten Chelsea as well as claiming draws with Liverpool, Arsenal and Aston Villa this season. Aside from a 0-0 draw with Crystal Palace, Sunderland have scored in all of their games against their current top six rivals this season.

A Haaland goal the standout bet

The best bet for this game has to be an anytime effort for City striker Erling Haaland – even at a short price. Haaland leads the scoring charts with 15 goals in 14 league games this season, having scored in 10 of those 14 games.

This has the potential to be an incredibly high-scoring game as City have conceded at least twice in four successive games, but have scored eight goals themselves across their last two. As such, a bold play on a 4-2 win for the home side is the correct score prediction.