Man City 3-0 Sunderland Player Ratings: Cherki Rated 9/10 as City Closes on Arsenal

What do you think was the motivating factor today behind the brilliant performance by City players? You don’t know? We’ll tell you. The earlier fixture, where Arsenal dropped points after losing to Aston Villa by a single goal, gave Manchester City an immense boost. They knew that a win tonight would take them up to second in the table and cut the gap to just two points behind the Gunners. Nothing motivates a team more than an opportunity handed by a title rival, especially after all the criticism City faced during the initial stages of the league.

With that fire driving them, City stepped onto the Etihad pitch with intent, dominated from the first minute, and secured a commanding 3-0 win over Sunderland thanks to goals from Rúben Dias (31'), Joško Gvardiol (35'), and Phil Foden (65').

Manchester City were in complete control from the first whistle, and the attack momentum graph makes that very clear. The green bars tower over Sunderland’s throughout the match, showing City’s constant waves of pressure. Their dominance paid off quickly, with Ruben Dias scoring in the 31st minute and Josko Gvardiol adding another in the 35th, leaving Sunderland on the back foot and struggling to build any meaningful possession. The visitors’ attacking moments were rare and short-lived, with only a few scattered counters that never truly threatened City.

The second half followed the same pattern, City dictating the tempo, winning second balls, and keeping Sunderland pinned inside their own half. The momentum stayed heavily in City’s favour, and Phil Foden’s 65th-minute goal was the reward for their relentless control. Even Sunderland’s late push barely registered compared to City’s dominance. In the end, the 3–0 scoreline perfectly reflected a match where Manchester City outclassed Sunderland in every department.

Here are Man City Vs Sunderland Player Ratings

Manchester City Player Ratings Vs Sunderland

Here are Manchester City Player Ratings Vs Sunderland

Sportsdunia's player of the match is Cherki