Game Week 5 Predictions: Manchester City to beat Sunderland

Manchester City will be without Phil Foden on Sunday. Will the Cityzens have enough to beat Sunderland and move to the top of the table? (Ph...

Manchester City will be without Phil Foden on Sunday. Will the Cityzens have enough to beat Sunderland and move to the top of the table? (Photo credit: Opta)

 Manchester City vs Sunderland

Etihad Stadium

2:00pm

The Cityzens will host Sunderland on Sunday, with the goal of steering clear of Arsenal on the log. The Gunners stumbled at Brighton on Saturday, which means even a point keeps the Etihad landlords on top of the log.

Sunderland lost to Arsenal last weekend, but they will look at the penalty miss early in the second half as the point where the momentum shifted. Enzo Le Fewe saw his penalty saved by Arsenal's David Raya before the Gunners went to score at the other end.

As the players head into the international break, the goal will be to leave with a feel-good factor. Anything short of a win for Manchester City will rank as an upset, and it could be an opportunity missed with their main rivals stumbling on Saturday.

Sunderland featured in the Europa League in midweek, winning 1-0 at home. It will be a different proposition for the Black Cats to cope with different competitions this season. Let's see how Regis Le Bris and his wards cope with the pressure.

The Cityzens beat Manchester United last weekend, albeit with a contentious goal. But having lost Phil Foden as early as the first 20 minutes of the game, managing to keep United from scoring against them was a great feat.

Manchester City also advanced in the League Cup, where they will face Brighton in the round of 16. The focus will be the visit of Sunderland to the Etihad, but the League Cup holders won't mind a clean sweep of domestic honors this season.

With Foden suspended, Jeremy Doku could return from injury. Rayan Cherki will be expected to lead the creative force, while Erling Haaland will lead the line. The big Norwegian scored the only goal of the game last weekend at Old Trafford; can Sunderland stop him?

Sunderland will once again unleash Bryan Brobbey on the City defense. The Dutchman was a handful against Ezri Konsa last weekend; he can prove to be a tough opponent on his day. Enzo Le Fee scored the winner from the spot in Europe; is his confidence back?

Verdict: Manchester City to win.