Sunderland 0-0 Man City: ‘We are not happy’, says Bernardo Silva
Pep Guardiola questioned whether this was just a two-horse Premier League title race, but Manchester City The parties cannot afford many mistakes in their quest to capture the leaders Arsenal.
Mikel Arteta’s Gunners have delivered the final blow in this cat-and-mouse chase, with City moving four points clear at the top after a frustrating goalless draw at Sunderland on Thursday night.
City dropped points on the first day of 2026 as the temperature at the Stadium of Light reached near freezing.
And Arsenal will need to keep their composure if they are to clinch a first top-flight title in more than two decades.
City had 67% possession and 14 shots in the North East but were unable to break through the stubborn Sunderland defense to take the points they deserved.
“Two different halves,” City captain Bernardo Silva said after the match. “We didn’t play that well in the first half. We didn’t control the ball as much as we should have.
“We attacked a little too quickly, we couldn’t move them to find space. We had a lot more chances in the second half and today was one of those days where we couldn’t finish them off.
“We’re not happy because we wanted better than this.”
While goalless draws continued, this match was quite entertaining as both teams had the chance to get the three points.
The home fans’ confidence grew as the match progressed, but City could not find the key to unlocking the defense as Sunderland maintained their impressive unbeaten record at home this season.
“If you look at Sunderland’s home record, I think it’s a deserved point,” former Manchester City defender Steph Houghton said on BBC Match of the Day.
“Them [City] “Overall we’ll be disappointed with the opportunities they’ve created but if you look at teams like Arsenal and Aston Villa, we’re halfway through the season to get there and get points, there’s a long, long way to go.”
Like Arsenal in November, City failed to beat the Black Cats.
Sunderland boss Regis le Bris was also understandably pleased with the result and said: “I’m having fun [it]. I think we showed strong character against probably one of the best teams in Europe at the moment.
“It was important to defend well. I think we were brave because we tried to be aggressive and get up the pitch. I think we disrupted their routine, maybe their flow, and that was really important.
“We also created a few chances, so it was a good match.”
