Sunderland started 2026 by holding Manchester City to a 0-0 draw at the Stadium of Light, earning a point that underlined growing maturity. Regis Le Bris praised the squad’s attitude after Sunderland spent long spells defending yet still resisted severe pressure from a side widely seen among Europe’s strongest teams.
The result came only weeks after Sunderland lost 3-0 at the Etihad Stadium, which made the response stand out. Le Bris highlighted how Sunderland limited Manchester City’s counter-press this time and managed key moments better, describing the improvement as a sign of a squad that is learning fast at Premier League level.
Sunderland stay seventh in the Premier League table at the turn of the year, maintaining contact with the leading
group. Since promotion, Sunderland have taken at least one point from every team currently in the division’s top five, demonstrating an ability to compete with clubs expected to challenge for the title.
Home results have been central to that progress. Sunderland are only the second promoted club to avoid defeat across the opening 10 Premier League home fixtures of a season. The previous side achieving this was Ipswich Town in 1992-93, who went unbeaten in the first 11 home league games after promotion.
Defender Trai Hume stressed how the Stadium of Light atmosphere has helped sustain that run. "I think every time we play at our home, the fans are incredible, added defender Trai Hume.They're our 12th man, and I think you can see that from our performances and how our home record is this season. They always push us. We make it tough for opposition teams coming here, so we need to keep it that way. "
| Team | Season | Status | Unbeaten home games from start |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunderland | 2025-26 Premier League | Promoted | 10 |
| Ipswich Town | 1992-93 Premier League | Promoted | 11 |
Another HUGE point on the boardpic.twitter.com/hlAe7DFB4YSunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) January 1, 2026
Le Bris reflected on the tactical demands of facing Manchester City and underlined how Sunderland coped under pressure. "It was a good game against a really strong opponent, one of the best in Europe, he said.[It was] important to defend properly. We showed we can defend high, when they came a bit higher with their quality, we had to manage the ball in the final third. They created many chances, but the character was good. Even when we were on the edge, we had one foot, one head, something to protect the ball. It was important to escape their counter press, they were excellent a few weeks ago at the Etihad, and it was impossible to escape their counter press. We did well with that today. We are growing and learning from different experiences. It's a question of experience, the standards in our team are high. They want to get better. If you stay at the same level, the league is going so fast that you'll be finished. They are still ambitious. "
Sunderland adjusted the approach from the defeat in Manchester by pressing higher and trying to disrupt Manchester City’s rhythm. Players worked to block switches of play and protect the penalty area when deeper. The clean sheet reflected both structured defending and willingness to cover space when Manchester City attacked with numbers.
Sunderland Premier League mindset and squad energy
Trai Hume explained that Sunderland planned a more aggressive style than in the reverse fixture. "We wanted to be bold. When we went to their place, we went there with a bit of naivety and a bit of respect, which they totally deserve, but coming here was a different game plan. We wanted to get after them and press, and I think we did that. At times, we won the ball back, we created chances ourselves. "
Captain Granit Xhaka pointed to the mood within the squad and staff as another factor behind results. "It's just the energy, our dressing room is so positive, skipper Granit Xhaka continued.We have such good energy with the staff, with the players. In the end, the results speak for ourselves because we are putting a lot of effort day by day, week by week. I think we can be very happy for the moment. "
Across the campaign, Sunderland have matched ambitious targets by combining strong home form, tactical discipline and a tight dressing room. The draw against Manchester City highlighted the progress since the defeat at the Etihad Stadium and supported belief that Sunderland can remain competitive near the top of the Premier League table.
