Can Sunderland overcome one of last season’s most dominant teams in National League history? York City arrive with a record-breaking attack, a formidable defence, and the confidence of champions.
York City favour lining up in a 4 – 2 – 3 – 1 formation in possession and a 4 – 3 – 3 shape without the ball. They boasted both the best attack and the best defence in the National League during the 2025 – 26 season, scoring 114 goals and conceding just 41. They averaged 2.5 goals scored and only 0.9 goals conceded
per game, making the Yorkshire-based side both the most potent attacking force and the most resolute defence in last season’s campaign.
The Minstermen finished second for clean sheets with 19, just behind fellow promoted side Rochdale, who recorded 20. They thrive on the counter-attack and can break quickly from defending set-pieces or after tracking back to stop an opponent’s attack.
York are also a physical side, collecting 86 yellow cards and two red cards. They ranked among the top 15 for bookings in the National League last season.
Prolific talisman Ollie Pearce was York’s top scorer during their title-winning campaign and claimed the National League Golden Boot by a considerable margin, finding the back of the net 34 times, with six coming from the penalty spot. The Minstermen also had another prolific scorer in the National League Golden Boot top 10, with Josh Stones scoring 17 goals, including one penalty. Completing the club’s goalscoring podium was Alex Newby, who netted 12 league goals for the Yorkshire-based side.
York also have a former Sunderland player in their ranks in 21-year-old Wearside-born Zak Johnson, who spent most of his time in and around the Black Cats’ youth set-up. He made four senior appearances in red and white before swapping Wearside for North Yorkshire in November 2025, where he went on to make 26 appearances and register three goal involvements. He was a crucial part of their record-breaking defence.
Sunderland must approach this game with the same respect and professionalism they would show in a Premier League fixture. This record-breaking York City side are relentless both in and out of possession. They begin many of their attacks with a full-back’s cross-field pass to a winger before finding a target man up front.
You can see this clearly in their matches against Rochdale, Yeovil Town and Tamworth, where they registered a combined 46 shots and completed 1,552 passes across those final three competitive fixtures. Across the full season, they also averaged 62.9% possession.
To summarise, this is a team that are not afraid to attack and could prove difficult to dispossess. Their main attacking players registered a combined 84 goal involvements in all competitions during the 2025 – 26 campaign.
