Martin Wanless predicts…
Score prediction: Man City 2 Sunderland 2
Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Le Fee
After Wednesday’s trip to Anfield, it’s another excellent game for us to tackle.
I wonder whether we’ll rotate the squad a little – the obvious suspension threat to Sadiki and Xhaka is something that will surely come into the manager’s thinking, and if we do rotate a bit, it could impact our chances.
That said, I think we’ll be pretty much unchanged, so I’ve gone with a Le Fee goal to open the scoring for us in an entertaining
draw.
‘The Champion’ Malc Dugdale predicts…
Score prediction: Man City 1 Sunderland 1
Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Brobbey
The lads did us very proud and almost nicked it at Anfield, and I think we will rotate a little but keep it tight still.
Brobbey had an OK run out, and I think he will again start for us, with Wilson likely to come on from the bench against legs that the big hold-up specialist will have tired out.
If we can get a draw here, we will have taken a great return from this sequence of very tough games, and will bounce into next weekend with confidence that we can take on anyone.
If we rotate and lose, we will still have rested a few for the arrival of The Scum, so in the scheme of free hits, this is probably one to take lightly however it goes.
Big Brian to get us one, and them to get one back, and we all move on to the home derby. Sweet.
Jack Howe-Gingell predicts…
Score prediction: Man City 2 Sunderland 2
Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Le Fee
It’s amazing this season, just keeps getting better and continually surprising. Who would have thought at the season’s beginning that we would come away from a game away at Anfield bitterly disappointed to not win the game? We have come so far and another huge test lingers on the horizon.
Man City are working on chasing down Arsenal with their current gung-ho, score one more than you policy, effectively spearheaded by the demonic Erling Haaland.
There are no questions – if we can find a way to stop Haaland, we have a chance here; otherwise, we will need to be equally proficient in the attacking third. The Norwegian is again in phenomenal form, and we can’t afford to even give him half-chances.
The silver lining is that City seem to be leaking goals at the moment, with 6 conceded against Leeds and Fulham, in high-scoring affairs. It is worth noting that they still won both of those games, so we must be tough and uncompromising.
I’d expect to see the five at the back remain, as well as the imposing presence of Brian Brobbey, as we look to be steely at the back and potent on the break. The yellow card conundrum continues to linger on with Xhaka and Sadiki both one away from a ban, so I’m interested to see how we approach it.
A very tough game, with a huge one around the corner that I don’t want to think about right now. Let’s get through this unscathed, grab a big point, and gear up for war for the arrival of the barcode army.
Will Jones predicts…
Score prediction: Man City 3 Sunderland 1
Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Traore
The Etihad, Saturday 3pm, and this is where reality might bite. We’ve been brilliant against the big boys, but City are still City. Haaland’s a machine, and with Rodri pulling the strings, they can suffocate you as well as blow you away.
Traoré’s looked lively, and I fancy him to nick the one having been rested, but over 90 minutes, I think they will have too much. It’s no disgrace, and we’ll still walk out proud, but I reckon this one ends in defeat.
Matty Foster predicts…
Score prediction: Man City 3 Sunderland 2
Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Brobbey
Imagine telling yourself at the start of the season that we’d come away from Anfield slightly disappointed, having only got a draw.
Up next are Man City, and this will be another huge test for us, but one I know the team will relish.
They’re the top scorers in the league so far, amassing 32 goals and failing to score in only one game.
But with the joint third-best defensive record, and our love of defending, it’s an interesting clash.
This a free hit in every sense. If we come away with nothing, injuries and suspensions included, I will sleep well before next Sunday’s showdown.
Anthony Gair predicts…
Score prediction: Man City 1 Sunderland 3
Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Hume
In the biggest surprise of the season, we’ll leave the Etihad with all three points.
The larger clubs in the league so far have neglected to do enough research into how we play, and I’m praying Pep is exactly the same.
Lip service is one thing, but when he’s talking about how we played against Fulham, our worst performance of the season by the way, and how good we were, it sounds a bit like he’s taking the piss.
If we turn up the way we played against Liverpool, with the same side, and the same intensity levels, we leave with all three points. All we need is to be a bit more clinical and for Dan Ballard to stretch his pocket a little bit more to fit Haaland into it.
Hume will start this all with a thunderbastard from 30 yards.
Haway!
Gary Winter predicts…
Score prediction: Man City 2 Sunderland 1
Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Alderete
So apparently we are quite good, particularly when it comes to facing the big clubs – and now we face another.
This one will be a nail-biter, and it’s nothing to do with the result. I’ll just be sitting on the edge of my seat, praying that neither Xhaka nor Sadiki pick up a yellow card and miss the derby. Given their combative natures, it only takes something slightly mistimed against quick-footed opposition, so I’m suitably bricking it. Both are imperative figures for the next game, and it’s unthinkable to be without either.
Man City are unquestionably strong, but they haven’t been convincing of late, so we have a big chance to get something here. We’ve certainly had their number a few times since they got rich. I’m just still pinching myself and can’t get my head around predicting wins and draws at these stadiums.
He had a couple of chances in the box at Anfield and looks a threat, so I’m punting on Alderete to get a goal at the Etihad.
Brett Lyons-Davis predicts…
Score prediction: Man City 2 Sunderland 3
Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Ballard
Why the hell not?
We all know City can blow teams away, but as shown with 6 goals in 2 games against Leeds and Fulham, they can also be got at.
The lads will go into this one absolutely brimming with confidence. The results against Chelsea, Arsenal, and now most recently Liverpool show they thrive on this kind of occasion.
We will need every player on it from the off to get a result, but please, Xhaka and Sadik,i play nice.
Last Time Out…
If not for a flailing heel from Chiesa, we would have won at Anfield for the first time in decades.
Irrespective of that very late missed chance, the lads did the travelling fans and the whole of Wearside proud on Merseyside in the week. A slightly fortunate deflected shot by Talbi was levelled by a way more deflected (and hence own goal) for them.
Honours even, and today we have another major challenge on our hands as we look to extend our unbeaten run and maybe even pull off a major upset.
This team cannot do anything that surprises me any more, let’s give them a bloody good game, lads and see how we do.
Last Game Predictions…
A good day for the fence sitters, with Malc and Martin picking up 3 points each for calling the only 2 draw forecasts in the list.
Everyone else went for a narrow win either way, and nobody saw Talbi being the lad to open our account, so no extras for that aspect either.
Predictions Table And Standings
Malc climbs up to joint second, and Martin secures a mid-table spot with their respective 3-point hauls and nothing for their peers.
Gair is bottom of the predictions league but top of the “Gung Ho” calls league by a long way.
If he starts climbing this table, we could be in Europe before you know it. Let’s hope that happens then, eh!
How the points are awarded
Just a quick reminder of how we allocate points to our match-by-match predictions:
- Correct score = Three points
- Correct outcome (but not correct score) = One point
- Correct first Sunderland goalscorer = One point (no goalscorer is a valid call)
- Possible deductions for being lazy and not submitting on time = a two-point deduction.
