Manchester City tightened the Premier League title race on Saturday with a 3–0 victory over Sunderland at the Etihad Stadium. The champions made the most of Arsenal’s earlier defeat to Aston Villa, cutting the Gunners’ lead at the top to just two points.
City needed patience early on as Sunderland sat deep with a compact back five, resisting pressure for the opening half hour. But once the breakthrough arrived, the match opened up quickly. Rúben Dias struck first in spectacular fashion, driving forward to unleash a powerful deflected effort into the top corner. Minutes later, Josko Gvardiol rose highest to head in Phil Foden’s corner, giving the hosts a firm grip before the interval.
The second half continued in City’s favour as they pushed for more goals. Doku hit the post, Haaland saw a shot cleared off the line, and Foden eventually added the third — a smart header from a superb Rayan Cherki cross, the playmaker’s second assist of the match. Sunderland carved out a few chances of their own, forcing saves from Gianluigi Donnarumma and even striking the post through Granit Xhaka, but their night ended sourly when Luke O’Nien was sent off in stoppage time after a VAR review for a studs-up challenge on Matheus Nunes.
With seven straight wins over Sunderland and a 25-match unbeaten run against promoted sides, City look primed for another sustained title push — and Arsenal will feel the pressure after dropping points earlier in the day.
