Manchester City vs Sunderland: prediction and stats
Premier LeagueRegular Season - 5Kick-off on September 19, 2026 at 02:00 PM (UTC)Etihad Stadium, Manchester
The Footlab model makes Manchester City the favourite at 66%, against 21% for a draw and 13% for Sunderland. The most likely score is 2-0.
This model is measured at 53.9% 1X2 accuracy on a temporal hold-out, against 33.3% for random guessing. See the measured accuracy
Probabilities recomputed on Aug 22, 2026 — the full match card is recomputed continuously until kick-off.
Who will win Manchester City vs Sunderland?
Manchester City starts as the favourite with a 297-point Elo edge (2,359 vs 2,062).
What is the recent form of both teams?
Over their last 15 matches in all competitions, Manchester City have 10 wins, 3 draws and 2 defeats; Sunderland have 8, 2 and 5.
The competition is shown for every match: in pre-season, several of these games are friendlies.
| Date | Opponent | Score | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 16, 2026 | Arsenal(away) | 0-3 | Community Shield |
| Aug 9, 2026 | Atletico Madrid(home) | 3-1 | Friendlies Clubs |
| Aug 5, 2026 | K-League Stars(away) | 3-1 | Friendlies Clubs |
| Aug 1, 2026 | Inter(home) | 1-1 | Friendlies Clubs |
| May 24, 2026 | Aston Villa(home) | 1-2 | Premier League |
| Date | Opponent | Score | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 15, 2026 | Rennes(home) | 2-1 | Friendlies Clubs |
| Aug 8, 2026 | Lens(away) | 2-0 | Friendlies Clubs |
| Aug 2, 2026 | Wrexham(away) | 1-0 | Premier League - Summer Series |
| Jul 30, 2026 | Leeds(home) | 0-1 | Premier League - Summer Series |
| Jul 25, 2026 | Liverpool(away) | 2-4 | Premier League - Summer Series |
What does the head-to-head say?
Across the last 6 meetings: 5 Manchester City win(s), 1 draw(s), 0 Sunderland win(s).
| Date | Score | Competition |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 1, 2026 | Sunderland 0-0 Manchester City | Premier League |
| Dec 6, 2025 | Manchester City 3-0 Sunderland | Premier League |
| Mar 5, 2017 | Sunderland 0-2 Manchester City | Premier League |
| Aug 13, 2016 | Manchester City 2-1 Sunderland | Premier League |
| Feb 2, 2016 | Sunderland 0-1 Manchester City | Premier League |
| Dec 26, 2015 | Manchester City 4-1 Sunderland | Premier League |
Last archived meeting: Sunderland vs Manchester City on Jan 1, 2026
How many goals should we expect?
Manchester City score 2.1 and concede 0.9 goals per match over their last 15; Sunderland score 1.6 and concede 1.4. The model gives a 55% probability of over 2.5 goals and 50% for both teams to score.
| Club | Goals scored / match | Goals conceded / match | Clean sheets | Both teams scored | Over 2.5 goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester City | 2.1 | 0.9 | 6 | 8/15 | 11/15 |
| Sunderland | 1.6 | 1.4 | 4 | 8/15 | 8/15 |
Over the last 15 matches in all competitions.
Where do both teams sit in the table?
Manchester City sit 2nd in Premier League (78 points from 38 matches) and Sunderland sit 7th (54 points from 38 matches).
The current season has no played match yet: final standings of the 2025-26 season.
| # | Club | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Manchester City | 38 | 23 | 9 | 6 | 77 | 35 | 78 |
| 7 | Sunderland | 38 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 42 | 48 | 54 |
Verdict, probable XI and verified absences
The full match card recomputes this prediction continuously until kick-off: multi-market verdict, player-by-player probable XI and web-verified absences.
Open the full match card in the app
No odds, no affiliation: the method is published and the accuracy is measured.
How does Footlab compute this prediction?
The model combines both teams' Elo ratings (anchored by competition pool), their recent form weighted by opponent strength, home advantage and a Poisson matrix for scorelines. Its accuracy is measured continuously on the predictions actually published. Methodology and measured accuracy
Frequently asked questions
- Who is the favourite for Manchester City vs Sunderland?
- The Footlab model makes Manchester City the favourite at 66%, against 21% for a draw and 13% for Sunderland.
- Where and when is Manchester City vs Sunderland played?
- Manchester City vs Sunderland is played on September 19, 2026 at 02:00 PM (UTC) at Etihad Stadium, in the Premier League.
- Will there be over 2.5 goals?
- The Footlab model gives a 55% probability of at least three goals in this match.
- How reliable is this prediction?
- The Footlab model is measured at 53.9% correct 1X2 outcomes on a temporal hold-out, against 33.3% for random guessing. The breakdown by competition and Elo gap is published on the accuracy page.