SUNDERLAND: Manchester City’s hopes of ending Sunderland’s unbeaten home run in the Premier League were frustrated as the champions were held to a 0-0 draw at the Stadium of Light on Thursday, the first evening of the New Year marked by missed chances rather than goals.
Pep Guardiola’s side dominated large spells and created enough opportunities to claim all three points, but wasteful finishing proved costly. City struck the woodwork, had a goal ruled out for offside, and failed to convert a series of close-range chances, particularly in the opening half.
The result leaves City second in the standings at the halfway stage of the season, four points adrift of leaders Arsenal. Guardiola admitted his disappointment with his team’s cutting edge after the match.
“It’s a tough place to come,” he told the BBC. “The amount of chances we missed in the six-yard box — not difficult ones — we could not convert. We didn’t do what we talked about in the first half, but in general it was a really good game.”
City threw everything at Sunderland after the break, mixing wide deliveries with intricate passing through the middle, but the hosts responded with relentless defensive intensity. Despite spending much of the second half under pressure, Sunderland held firm to secure a valuable clean sheet and extend their impressive home record.
