Manchester City fell four points behind league leaders Arsenal after being held to a goalless draw by a resilient Sunderland side at the Stadium of Light.
Sunderland extended their impressive unbeaten home run to 10 matches after holding Manchester City to a 0-0 draw at the Stadium of Light.
Despite early pressure from Pep Guardiola’s side, including a Bernardo Silva goal disallowed for offside, the Black Cats remained disciplined.
Erling Haaland and Brian Brobbey both saw first-half efforts saved as the two teams entered the break locked in a tactical stalemate.
The intensity increased in the second half as both goalkeepers, Robin Roefs and Gianluigi Donnarumma, were forced into critical saves to keep their clean sheets intact.
Manchester City came closest to breaking the deadlock in the 74th minute when substitute Josko Gvardiol’s acrobatic strike rattled the post.
Despite a frenetic finale featuring late attacks from Jeremy Doku and Tijjani Reijnders, Sunderland’s defense held firm to secure a hard-earned point.
This result leaves Manchester City four points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal, complicating their title defense.
Meanwhile, Sunderland remains in seventh place, proving their mettle against the league’s elite.
The stalemate marks a significant missed opportunity for City to close the gap at the top, while the hosts celebrated maintaining their formidable record in front of their home supporters on New Year’s Day.