Score Predictions: City At Home – Can SAFC Get Something Tonight?

Martin Wanless predicts…

Score prediction: Sunderland 1 Man City 0

Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Mayenda

Seeing as none of the other predictions gang have any confidence in the lads to claim all three points tonight I’m sticking my neck out and going for a 1-0.

We’ve got form in New Years games against them at the Stadium of light. I remember a masked up Mignolet getting off his sick bed to play in front of a defence including Jack Colback and for a large part of the game Matt Kilgallon, and Ji getting that last gasp (definitely onside) goal, so I’m going for a little bit of history repeating itself with Eli notching from the bench – and 2026 getting off to just as good a start as 2025 did.

Whatever happens, KTF.

‘The Champion’ Malc Dugdale predicts…

Score prediction: Sunderland 1 Man City 1

Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Brian Brobbey

Today is about giving it our all and not losing our shit if we get beat. Just competing with these will be a challenge but we have proven before we should have no fear.

We have half a dozen lads at AFCON and injuries starting to play into the mix. Losing today should not be a trigger for a head loss… but I think we can get a draw if we can replicate the first half hour of the game at the Etihad, and with the personnel we still have I think that is possible with a little Reggie magic.

Brobbey is my pick to nick a lead for us early on, and I can see them getting one back in the second half, but then failing to break down the red and white wall more than once.

2026 off to a start with a point. Easy.

Jack Howe-Gingell predicts…

Score prediction: Sunderland 1 Man City 1

Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Le Fee

Leeds gave us a really tough game, particularly with the impressive display of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, so why not follow that up with one of the world’s most prolific scorer in Erling Haaland?

When we played Man City in December, Haaland couldn’t get a kick after being thoroughly marshalled by Dan Ballard for the entirety. Unfortunately, some of Man City’s other world-class players opted to step up in a routine win for them, but he’s likely to be missing again today.

Make no bones about it, this is a solid fixture. Man City have incredible players, and we’ll need to be at our best to even avoid a low scoring defeat. I’ll always back us though, and will take two glasses half full maintaining our unbeaten home record.

Will Jones predicts…

Score prediction: Sunderland 1 Man City 2

Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Alderete

New Year’s Day under the lights, and we’re straight back into it.

We’re still missing a fair few bodies, and if Ballard doesn’t make it, it could be a long old night. He’s exactly the sort of player you want for this – heading, blocking, shouting, and generally throwing himself in the way of everything. Without him, we’re asking a lot of whoever steps in.

City will dominate the ball, obviously. We’ll defend, clear our lines, defend again, then do it all over. The key is not letting it turn into one of those nights early on. Keep it respectable, keep it tight, and see how long we can hang in there.

If we can frustrate them, slow the game down, break it up, get the crowd going, then you never know. One set piece, one scruffy moment, and suddenly it’s game on. That’s the hope, anyway.

They’ll probably find a way through in the end because they usually do. But as long as we make them work for it and don’t roll over, I’m alright with that.

Matty Foster predicts…

Score prediction: Sunderland 1 Man City 3

Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Xhaka

To enter 2026 unbeaten at home is a huge achievement, it has to be said.

However, I think we can count ourselves lucky that we kept that intact against Leeds.

That second half period in particular, is something that if repeated today, we will get massacred.

Since the reverse fixture, City have continued on their winning streak, extending it to six against Forest a couple of days ago.

We will do extremely well to get anything from this.

But with our key absentees and City’s form, I see them inflicting our first home defeat of the season.

Anthony Gair predicts…

Score prediction: Sunderland 3Man City 3

Sunderland’s first goalscorer: King Granit Xhaka

Yes, theres a reason I’m currently languishing at the bottom of the table. One day, one of these will come off, and you’ll all be sorry.

I just fancy an absolute goal fest. I think City will come out all guns blazing and score two nice and early on, we’ll get one back and then make a game of it from there.

If it doesn’t, then at least I’ve had a go, eh?

Gary Winter predicts…

Score prediction: Sunderland 0 Man City 2

Sunderland’s first goalscorer: N/A

We’ve done tremendously well to remain unbeaten at home in the Premier League in 2025, but I think this will sadly come to an end today. Manchester City are in excellent form and are still ascending, and I think they will be too much for us. Thinking back to a few weeks ago they played through us with ease, and we’ll be starting a weaker XI this time, without Sadiki and Ballard.

We sorely missed the presence of Ballard against Leeds, and this was always where AFCON was going to affect us in a busy spell of fixtures. It wasn’t about the immediate impact on the starting line up – the issues arise with injuries or suspensions on top of those already absent.

Goals have really dried up and today’s match doesn’t feel like one where we turn the corner in that regard. Hopefully we can battle hard until the end against City, keep our heads up and do ourselves proud.

Brett Lyons-Davis predicts…

Score prediction: Sunderland 0 Man City 2

Sunderland’s first goalscorer: N/A

Having seen our AFCON & Ballard depleted team get a point against Leeds, even my ridiculous optimism is struggling to see anything but a defeat today. It feels like the Man City machine is starting to tick and they go on a their unstoppable run which will end up with them lifting the silverware at the end of the season.

One straw to cling onto is with City playing Chelsea on Saturday they themselves rest some players but with the embarrassment of riches at Pep’s disposal it’s hardly going to be the kids in their place.

I’d love to be wrong and for the lads to get something from this but we’d need 10 out of 10’s across the park and for City to be below par.

Last Time Out…

A hard earned share of the points was the end result against Leeds.

We should have had more than one in the first half, but the belter from Adingra was the only notch we could carve.

They maybe could have had more than one in the second half, but had similar issues converting pressure and possession into goals.

The unbeaten home record carries on to this evening against City, and this has to probably be one of the hardest challenges to retain that record we have had most of the season.

Last Game Predictions…

Everyone went for a home win last time out, and nobody foresaw the cracker of a goal from the magical feet of Simon Adingra.

If Brobbey’s header hadn’t hit the corner of post and cross bar that would have been a big difference for all, but it was not to be.

Predictions Table & Standings

The table stays as it did at the end of 2025, with Brett still top, two points between him and 4th, 1 point between Gary and 7th, and Gair bringing up the rear.

Long way to go yet, but it’s tight and will likely get tighter.

How the points are awarded

Just a quick reminder of how we allocate points to our match-by-match predictions:

• Correct score = Three points
• Correct outcome (but not correct score) = One point
• Correct first Sunderland goalscorer = One point (no goalscorer is a valid call)
• Possible deductions for being lazy and not submitting on time = a two-point deduction.