Manchester City held at Sunderland to sit four points adrift of Arsenal

By Rebecca Johnson, Press Association

Sunderland extended their unbeaten Premier League home record to 10 games after holding Manchester City to a goalless draw.

An entertaining clash at the Stadium of Light saw both sides enjoy threatening spells and chances throughout the game and Bernardo Silva had an early goal disallowed for offside before Brian Brobbey and Erling Haaland had first-half efforts saved.

Trai Hume glanced a header over before the break and Savinho and Eliezer Mayenda both went close in the second half before substitute Josko Gvardiol hit the post with 16 minutes of normal time to go.

A draw means City sit four points adrift of league leaders Arsenal in the table and the Black Cats remain seventh.

Sunderland made one change from their draw with Leeds as Mayenda came in and Savinho and Nathan Ake both started for Pep Guardiola’s side.

City found the net six minutes in when Haaland flicked Rayan Cherki’s corner into the path of Silva to hook home, but the goal was disallowed for offside.

After a comfortable period of possession from City, Sunderland had their first opportunity in the 19th minute when Brobbey latched onto Nordi Mukiele’s aerial pass and broke down the centre of the pitch, but his effort was saved by Gianluigi Donnarumma before the follow-up was cleared.

Hume blasted the ball over the bar as the Black Cats looked to pile on the pressure and Mayenda had a strike deflected behind before nodding wide from the subsequent corner.

City came close when Phil Foden played a low pass into an unmarked Haaland in the box, but the striker’s effort was saved by Robin Roefs before Sunderland broke at the other end, where a dangerous Mayenda cross was cleared.

The hosts had an excellent chance just before the break when Granit Xhaka crossed into Hume, who headed just over the crossbar.

Rodri came on for Nico Gonzalez at half-time and City threated when Cherki burst down the right, crossing into Savinho, who could only fire over the bar.

Moments later the winger had a strike from a tight angle saved by Roefs and Haaland smashed the rebound over before Donnarumma was called into action at the opposite end to deny Simon Adingra at the near post.

Sunderland continued to push and Enzo Le Fee played a neat pass into Mayenda, who forced Donnarumma into a low stop.

Gvardiol made a surging run into the box, where his header from Rodri’s cross was palmed away by Roefs and they threatened again when Silva blasted an effort into a crowded penalty area.

Substitute Jeremy Doku weaved into the box before dispatching a powerful strike into the head of Mukiele and Silva’s follow-up was nodded over before another City attack saw Gvardiol nearly break the deadlock in the 74th minute when his acrobatic attempt rattled the post.

Xhaka played Wilson Isidor through down the left, but Donnarumma smothered the ball at his near post.

A frenetic finale saw Gvardiol’s close-range attempt blocked and an end-to-end encounter saw a Sunderland counter-attack well-defended before Roefs made a comfortable claim from Tijjani Reijnders’ attempt in the final seconds.