Manchester City drop two crucial points in title race as Sunderland stand firm

It was certainly a City side lacking in their usual creativity and fluency.

HONOURS EVEN: Sunderland's Lutsharel Geertruida, Nordi Mukiele and Manchester City's Ruben Dias argue. Richard Sellers/PA Wire.

Sunderland 0 Manchester City 0

MISFIRING and flat, Manchester City slipped up for the first time since November.

Perhaps it was a festive season hangover, the Baltic Wearside temperature, or the stifling, belligerence of Regis Le Bris’s rebuilt Sunderland.

But this was certainly a City side lacking in their usual creativity and fluency. Missing a change of pace, a clever angle and a degree of physical bite.

An off key performance was summed up by Erling Haaland blazing a pass into touch instead of finding Rayan Cherki down the right wing as they toiled for a breakthrough. Shakes of head, and resignation all round.

So not for the first time this season, resilient, physical Sunderland are the great disruptors in the Premier League title race. They are now ten games unbeaten at home this season.

The last time Pep Guardiola’s side dropped points in the league was when they lost up the road from here at St James’ Park on November 22.

The response was zix league wins in a row to tweak up the pressure on table topping Arsenal, but even the introduction of Rodri off the bench, and the creditable Jeremy Doku could not clinch the points here.

There is intrigue surrounding City on and off the field as the New Year dawns - with pivotal questions moving closer to be answered.

Is Guardiola ready to step away after a decade in charge, six Premier League titles won and another a strong possibility?

Hours before kick off Chelsea parted with boss Enzo Maresca - who told the club he had talked to both Juventus and City who have launched their succession planning should Pep talk a break.

The pair are close mates, but with more trophies possible it seems unlikely any early move would be considered, and Guardiola will continue to drive City’s to even greater momentum.

December was a bonus month for City, as they hit their stride, with a perfect record of eight wins, but they were not the first team to discover that Wearside is a tough place to come.

Nathan Ake was handed his first league start sinceOctober, replacing Josko Gvardiol, who was rested to shake off some niggling injuries. But within three minutes the Dutch defender pulled up lame, but managed to play on.

An early goal would have settled the sluggish start. Bernado Silva wheeled away to celebrate poking Erling Haaland’s flicked header into the goal, but he was flagged offside.

Sunderland preserved their unbeaten home record when league leaders Arsenal visited last month matching their contenders for athleticism and fight as well as tactical nous.

Could they stem the City tide, with confidence on a high and a return of 28 points, with players admitting they have talked about qualifying for Europe rather than the pre-season first base of avoiding relegation?

The home side were dangerous when using their physicality and being direct. A punt forward from defence by Nordi Mukiele sent Brian Brobby chasing in behind. He outmuscled Ruben Dias, who fell over, but the shot was saved by Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Granti Xhaka then fired over from the edge of the box as City were given warning of the Mackems' potential.

Haaland was searching for his first ever goal at the Stadium of Light, and was presented with a free shot 12 yards out by Phil Foden after 37 minutes. Robin Roefs stood firm to save.

Sunderland broke well and Eliezer Mayender was threatening down the right, but his crosses were too deep.

City were far from their forceful and dominant best, stifled in the first half by Sunderland’s defensive shape which squeezes space and blocks channels.

They could have gone behind when Trai Hume flicked a header just over from Xhaka’s cross, another near miss.

Guardiola tried to seize more control at half time by introducing Rodri, being nursed back to his best, with Nico Gonzalez subbed.

It almost worked as Rodri started the move which saw Rayan Cherki slide a cross to Savinho who shot over.

Savinho was then denied by Roefs. He looked to sustain a muscular injury in the process of shooting and took his time limping to the dressing room as Jeremy Doku came on.

City seemed lethargic, and at times vulnerable. Simon Adingrsa was the next to test Donnarumma from an angle.

And in the 53rd minute, Enzo Le Fee opened up the back line allowing Mayenda to shoot, but the giant frame of the City keeper at full stretch kept the scored level.

Roefs was then in action saving a point blank header from Gvardiol after Rodri clipped a diagonal ball into the box.

It was only on the hour when the visitors got a grip and camped around the Sunderland box. Sub Doku worked some magic jinking into the penalty area, firing a shot into the face of defender Mukiele.

All is not completely healthy for Sunderland. It’s just two wins in ten games now and three goals in seven games. They are, however, so tough to break down.

SUNDERLAND (4-3-3): Roefs 8; Hume 7, Mukiele7, Alderete 7, Cirkin 7; Xhaka 7, Geertruida 7, Mayenda 7, Le Fee 7, Adingra 7 (Mundle 71); Brobbey 7 (Isidor 57).

MAN CITY (4-2-3-1): Donnarumma 8; Nunes 6, Dias 6, Ake 6, O'Reilly 6 (Gvardiol 57, 7); Gonzalez 6 (Rodri 45, 7), Silva 7 (Reijnders 85); Savinho 6 (Doku 51, 6), Foden 7, Cherki 7; Haaland 6.

Referee: Jarred Gillett.