Man. City run riot, overpower hapless Sunderland in dominant win

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

Manchester City delivered a commanding performance at the Etihad on Saturday, easing past struggling Sunderland 3–0 in a match defined by clinical finishing.

Rúben Dias opened the scoring on 31 minutes with a composed first-time curler into the top-right corner after a clever pass found him on the edge of the box.

The breakthrough settled City, and eight minutes later Josko Gvardiol doubled the lead, rising above everyone to power a header inside the left post from a corner.

Sunderland showed flashes of intent, notably through Wilson Isidor, Granit Xhaka and Enzo Le Fée, but City’s control never truly wavered.

Rayan Cherki tormented Sunderland’s back line throughout, later assisting City’s third: a superb cross in the 65th minute that Phil Foden met with a bullet header off the inside of the post.

By then, the contest was effectively over, but the closing minutes brought controversy. Sunderland substitute Luke O’Nien escaped an immediate dismissal for a reckless challenge in stoppage time, only for VAR to intervene. Referee Andy Madley reviewed the incident and upgraded the initial caution to a straight red card, leaving Sunderland to finish the match with ten men.

Despite a handful of chances, including a dangerous Mundle effort and a Xhaka rebound off the post, Sunderland never found a foothold. City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma remained largely untroubled as Pep Guardiola’s side cruised to a professional, dominant win.

The victory keeps Manchester City firmly in the title conversation heading into the busy winter schedule.