As the New Year's Day hangovers begin to fade and the winter chill settles over Wearside, the Premier League serves up a heavyweight clash at the Stadium of Light on Thursday, 1st January 2026.
Sunderland, the surprise package of the 2025/26 season, look to protect their proud unbeaten home record against a Manchester City side that has won eight matches on the bounce. With an incredible offer for a single goal to be scored in the match, we break down the form, the AFCON absences, and the tactical battle ahead.
EXCLUSIVE OFFER
50/1 A Goal To Be Scored: Sunderland vs Man City
CLAIM THIS OFFER HERENew customers only. T&Cs apply. 18+.
Sunderland: The Resilient Black Cats
Régis Le Bris has performed wonders at the Stadium of Light this term. Sitting in 7th place heading into 2026, Sunderland have become a tactical enigma. Their 1-1 draw with Leeds on December 28th ensured they remain one of the few teams yet to be beaten at home this season. However, the festive period has stretched the squad to its limits.
The Black Cats are currently missing six first-team players due to the Africa Cup of Nations, including Reinildo, Noah Sadiki, and Chemsdine Talbi. With Dan Ballard also sidelined through injury, the backline has a makeshift feel. Despite this, the emergence of Chris Rigg and the clinical edge shown by Simon Adingra—who scored in the draw against Leeds—mean Sunderland remain a threat on the break.
Manchester City: The Winter Juggernaut
If Sunderland are the league's great resistors, Manchester City are its unstoppable force. Pep Guardiola’s men arrive on the back of an eight-match winning streak. Their 2-1 victory at Nottingham Forest on December 27th showcased their depth, with Rayan Cherki bagging the winner.
City are currently second in the table, just two points behind Arsenal. While they lose Rayan Aït-Nouri and Omar Marmoush to AFCON, and John Stones remains out with a leg injury, the return of Rodri and the potential availability of Jeremy Doku give Guardiola plenty of options. City haven't failed to score in the league since late October, and Erling Haaland will be hungry to start the new year with a bang.
The Betting Breakdown: Why Over 0.5 Goals?
- City’s Scoring Run: City have averaged over two goals per game in December. They possess the highest attacking output in the division.
- Defensive Gaps: Sunderland are missing their first-choice defensive spine due to AFCON and injuries. This makeshift defence faces the ultimate test in Haaland and Foden.
- Sunderland's Counter: Sunderland have scored in 90% of their home games this season. Even if City dominate, the Black Cats' pace out wide often yields a goal.
The Verdict
Sunderland will undoubtedly make this a contest, but City’s mid-season momentum is often an unstoppable force. Given the defensive absences for the hosts and City’s relentless attacking pressure, a 0-0 draw feels almost impossible. Whether it's a City masterclass or a Sunderland shock, the ball is expected to hit the back of the net at least once, making the 50/1 offer on a single goal very appealling.
EXCLUSIVE OFFER
50/1 A Goal To Be Scored: Sunderland vs Man City
CLAIM THIS OFFER HERENew customers only. T&Cs apply. 18+.
Terms and Conditions
50/1 A GOAL TO BE SCORED IN SUNDERLAND VS MAN CITY
Who can take part?
- New customers only. Available to residents of the UK & Republic of Ireland.
How & when can I qualify?
- Open a new account using promo codeYFBDEZ
- Deposit a minimum of £5 by Pay by Bank, Cards or Apple Pay.
- Place a max £1 bet on “Over 0.5 Goals” in the Over/Under Goals market in Sunderland vs Man City on Thursday 1st January
- Cashed Out, Partially Cashed Out and Power Price bets will not count towards the promotion. If you place a qualifying bet and subsequently use Cash Out on the bet, you will no longer be eligible for the promotion.
What can I win?
- If your bet is successful, you will be paid in cash based on the normal price on site and will have the extra amount, bringing the bet up to the cumulative 50/1 payout, credited in free bet builders
When will I get my prize?
- You will receive your Free bet after your qualifying bet settles. Free bet builders are valid for 30 days.
What else do I need to know?
- Best odds guaranteed does not apply to bets placed with a free bet, or partial free bet.
- You can use part of your free bets and save the rest for later as long as you use it before they expire. Stakes are not returned with winnings if your free bet wins. Your winnings will be credited to your main wallet.
- If we find that you have taken part in this promotion using a duplicate account or that you have used more than one account to participate, we reserve the right to withhold your free bets and any winnings earned on the duplicate account.
- Deposits made with e-wallets including: PayPal, Skrill, Paysafe and Neteller will not count towards this promotion.
- The offer excludes the following bet types: Canadian, Goliath, Heinz, Lucky 15, Lucky 31, Lucky 63, Patent, Super Heinz, Trixie & Yankee.
Other essential stuff:
- Paddy Power reserves the right in its discretion to exclude and/or limit the availability of the offer to certain customers.
- The full terms and conditions of Paddypower.com also apply to this offer.
.jpg)
.jpg)
