Manchester City failed to keep the pressure on table-toppers Arsenal on Thursday after playing a goalless draw against Sunderland in their first match in 2026.
City thought they had made the perfect start when Bernardo Silva turned home from a corner inside the opening minutes, only for celebrations to be cut short by an offside flag. It set the tone for an evening in which fine margins repeatedly went against Guardiola’s side despite long spells of dominance.
Brian Brobbey forced an early save before Erling Haaland was denied at the other end, while Sunderland threatened sporadically on the break,
Trai Hume heading narrowly over just before the interval. City’s pressure intensified after the restart, Savinho twice going close at the start of the second half before Eliezer Mayenda tested Gianluigi Donnarumma.
The clearest opportunities arrived late on. Josko Gvardiol saw a powerful header brilliantly saved by Joeri Roefs before the defender struck the post with 16 minutes remaining. Sunderland held firm to extend their unbeaten home league run to 10 games.
Pep Guardiola reacts during the Premier League match between Sunderland and Manchester City. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)
“Really good game, especially the second half,” Guardiola said. “The first half was really tight, the chances we missed to score a goal in the six-yard box. We had many there, we had good actions against a fantastic team.
“I’m so proud and delighted with the way we played in this difficult stadium against a difficult opponent. We did everything to win, but in the end we couldn’t do it.”
City had beaten Sunderland 3-0 at the Etihad last month, but Guardiola acknowledged the growth of Regis Le Bris’s side since then. “Really good, a surprise,” he said. “I don’t know if teams are able to come here and create what we create. When you are five, six, seven times in the six-yard box, you should score a goal.”
Despite the frustration, Guardiola quickly turned his attention to a packed schedule. “Now it’s recovery because we have two days to the Chelsea game and we’ll go for it,” he added.
