Manchester City began the new calendar year with a 0-0 draw at Sunderland’s Stadium of Light. Pep Guardiola’s side missed the chance to move back within two points of Arsenal following the stalemate.
The result extended City’s unbeaten run in the Premier League to seven matches, with the champions now sitting four points behind leaders Arsenal at the halfway stage of the campaign.
Bernardo Silva thought he had opened the scoring just five minutes in when he turned home a corner flicked on by Erling Haaland, but the City captain was narrowly offside.
Sunderland grew into the game from there, though neither side looked likely to beat the goalkeepers before the break.
The start of the second half brought an uplifting moment for City fans as Rodri took to the pitch for the first time since a brief substitute appearance in early November.
The Spaniard initiated a move barely a minute into his return that led to City’s best chance, but Savinho fired over the bar from Rayan Cherki’s low cross.
As the hour mark passed, Sunderland goalkeeper Roefs again stood firm, denying substitute Josko Gvardiol, who ghosted into the box and glanced a header on target.
Jeremy Doku and Phil Foden then came even closer, only for brave defensive blocks to deny their goal-bound efforts.
Gvardiol, spending more time in the Sunderland box than his own half, later flicked a cross onto the outside of the post from close range.
City threw everything at the hosts in the closing stages but could not force a winner in a typically hard-fought Premier League contest.
After the match, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said: “Good. Take the point. The second half was excellent. We missed chances. We could not score in the six-yard box. How many times were we in the six-yard box against the keeper and could not convert? Of course, the threat they have — they are really good.”
(IANS)
