Manchester City 0 Sunderland 0: City are held to a draw by Sunderland tonight | OneFootball

Manchester City 0

Sunderland 0

Manchester City have drawn nil-all with Sunderland tonight at the Stadium of Light. Pep Guardiola made two changes to the starting lineup that beat Nottingham Forest. City were poor in the first-half as Sunderland played exceptionally well throughout the first-half. City upped the ante in the second-half but were left frustrated by Sunderland’s resolute and dogged defending as Pep Guardiola’s side left the Stadium of Light with a point for their efforts.

First half.

The Stadium of Light atmosphere was cracking ahead of kick-off as the Sunderland fans were well and truly up for the visit of Manchester City. It was clear as the match began that City would have to be up for the challenge posed by a fired-up Sunderland side.

It took two minutes for an injury concern to arise for Pep Guardiola’s side. Nathan Ake made a lunging challenge in the second minute to clear a Sunderland ball across midfield. A minute later the Dutch defender went down clutching his knee. Ake went off for treatment and returned to the pitch. His condition was a story to monitor after four minutes.

Manchester City had the ball in the back of the net after six minutes. Erling Haaland flicked on a Rayan Cherki corner from the left. Bernardo Silva beat Sunderland keeper Robin Roefs with a neat finish from close range. But Manchester City’s captain was offside and the goal was correctly disallowed.

As the game entered the 17th minute both teams had their moments going forward. First, Ruben Dias cut out a dangerous ball from Sunderland right-back Trai Hume on the edge of his own six-yard box in the 14th minute. Two minutes later, Nico picked out Rayan Cherki on the right with a sublime cross-field ball. Cherki put in a quality first-time cross into the Sunderland six-yard box. The Sunderland defence cleared the ball with no City attacking players having gambled on Cherki putting in a good cross.

Gianluigi Donnarumma is forced to make his first save of the evening.

Gianluigi Donnarumma would make his first save of the match in the 19th minute. A long ball over the top of the City defence saw Brian Bobbey shrug off the physical pressure provided by Ruben Dias. Bobbed left Dias on the floor and unleashed a stinging shot on goal. Donnarumma made a strong save to keep the score at nil-all.

The long ball over the top of the City defence was causing Pep Guardiola’s side issues.

Sunderland would put another chance over the bar two minutes later. Again, a long ball over the top of the City defence saw Eliezer Mayenda win a physical duel against Matheus Nunes. Mayenda’s initial ball was blocked and it fell to Trai Hume on the edge of the City area. Hume fired his shot over the bar as he tried to curl the ball into the top right-hand corner.

The next Manchester City player to go down with an injury was Nico in the 27th minute. The Spanish midfielder received a knock to the knee in an earlier challenge and received treatment on the pitch. Rodri was summoned by Pep Guardiola to get ready in case Nico couldn’t continue.

As the first half progressed, Manchester City were having trouble breaking down the packed Sunderland defence. Outside of Bernardo Silva’s disallowed goal, City’s only shot on goal at that stage was a Phil Foden volley that went miles wide. Régis Le Bris’s side were well-organised and making life difficult for Pep Guardiola’s side. Savinho on the left wing was Manchester City’s most dangerous attacking player but there was no urgency to City’s play up until the 35th minute. Full credit must go to Sunderland for their tactics and the players’ application.

Robin Roefs would make a strong save to deny Erling Haaland in the 37th minute. A well-worked City move saw Cherki play the ball to Matheus Nunes inside the Sunderland area. Nunes played Foden in behind the Sunderland defence on the right and Foden played a good ball to Haaland on the penalty spot. Manchester City’s number-nine fired in a powerful right-footed shot which was straight at Roefs who saved well and emphatically with his feet.

Sunderland squander a good chance as Trai Hume heads over the bar.

Trai Hume would put a header from a good position over the bar in the third minute of first-half stoppage time. Granit Xhaka played a quality ball into the City area from the left which found Hume unmarked in a good position eight yards from the City goal. Hume flicked his header over the bar and he should have done better with the chance.

That would be the final significant moment of the first-half. Sunderland were the more dangerous team going forward and tonight’s match mirrored Manchester City’s most recent win over Nottingham Forest. Pep Guardiola’s side had to lift in the second-half if they were going to extend their eight-match winning run. Sunderland were well set up defensively and provided a real threat on the counter. City had to up the ante after halftime if they were to pick up all three points.

Second half.

Nico was replaced by Rodri to begin the second half. It was the first minutes for Rodri in eight weeks and he had a vital role to play in midfield as City needed to lift in the second-half.

Savinho should have given Manchester City the lead 75 seconds into the second-half. Rayan Cherki played a superb ball from the right across the Sunderland area. Savinho fired over from five yards out and in truth he had to score. The miss sums up what the Brazilian international needs to improve in his game but City had made their intentions clear to start the second-half.

Savinho would see another shot saved by Robin Roefs a minute later. Phil Foden slipped the Brazilian international in with a sumptuous ball on the left wing. Savinho was behind the Sunderland defence and he fired a shot that he aimed to beat Robin Roefs by firing across the Sunderland keeper. Roefs made another good save to keep the game at nil-all.

Savinho would be replaced by Jeremy Doku in the 51st minute. It seemed that the Brazilian winger had sustained an injury after his second chance of the second-half.

Gianluigi Donnarumma would keep out Sunderland attacker Simon Adingra’s stinging shot from a tight angle in the 52nd minute with a strong save. Donnarumma would make an even better save two minutes later to deny Eliezer Mayenda’s left-footed shot from a good position. There was a more open feel to the second-half as both teams pushed to find the game’s opening goal.

Josko Gvardiol sees a header saved after a quality ball from Rodri.

Robin Roefs would make a big save in the 65th minute. Rodri played a beautiful pass over the Sunderland defence from midfield which picked out a surging run from Josko Gvardiol. Gvardiol got a strong header on target that Roefs tipped over the bar. Rodri’s ball was brilliant as was Robin Roefs’ save.

Jeremy Doku wove his way into the Sunderland area in the 69th minute with a sublime dribble. The Belgian winger worked his way to the six-yard box from the left and unleashed a powerful shot at goal that was goal-bound. Sunderland defender Nordi Mukiele somehow blocked Doku’s shot. Manchester City were upping the ante and they were pinning Sunderland deep in their own area as the second-half wore on.

Josko Gvardiol would hit the post in the 73rd minute. Matheus Nunes put in a cross from the right that Gvardiol tried to flick over and past Robin Roefs. Gvardiol’s flick beat Roefs and with the Sunderland keeper beaten it hit the post and went wide.

As the game entered stoppage time, Manchester City were pushing hard for a winner. Sunderland were a threat on the counterattack and as the game entered four minutes of stoppage time with any result was still possible.

Rayan Cherki would slip in Tijjani Reijnders in the 94th minute. But Reijnders was too wide of the Sunderland goal to get a meaningful shot on target. His left-footed strike was straight at Robin Roefs who saved with ease.

That would be the final moment of the match which frustratingly ended nil-all for Pep Guardiola’s side.

First thoughts at the final whistle as Manchester City couldn’t break down a stubborn Sunderland defence.

Sunderland fought and scrapped their way to a well-deserved point at the Stadium of Light tonight. Manchester City were poor in the first-half, and Sunderland were very good. As the second-half progressed City did up the ante in an attempt to win tonight’s match. But an inspired performance from Robin Roefs in the Sunderland goal, some desperate defending from Régis Le Bris’s side and no luck in front of goal saw City leave the Stadium of Light with a point.

There were several injury concerns to come out of tonight’s match for Manchester City. Nico, Nathan Ake and Savinho all picked up knocks across the match. Their status for Sunday’s match against Chelsea will be monitored over the weekend. Rodri’s performance in the second-half was more than promising for City.

A draw was probably a fair result on the night in a result that leaves Manchester City four points behind Arsenal at the halfway point of the season.