Getty
| PROBABLE LINEUPS |
MANCHESTER CITY  HartRichards, Kompany, K Toure, Clichy Y Toure, Barry Nasri, Aguero, TevezDzeko | SUNDERLAND  Mignolet Meyler, Kyrgiakos, Turner, Bardsley Larsson, Cattermole, Gardner, McClean SessegnonBendtner |
Club captain Vincent Kompany looks to have recovered from a calf injury that has kept him out for three weeks, but the Etihad Stadium showdown will come too soon for Joleon Lescott who has a groin strain. Expect Micah Richards to shift back over the right-back at the expense of Pablo Zabaleta.
Sunderland will be without defender Wayne Bridge, who is ineligible to play against his parent club. John O’Shea is a doubt after a knee injury forced him off in the club’s 3-1 win over QPR last Saturday. Wes Brown, Titus Bramble, Kieran Richardson and Kieren Westwood are all unlikely to feature for Martin O’Neill’s men as they recover from injuries.
| DID YOU KNOW? |
Manchester City have won every single home league game this season so far in a run of 20 consecutive home victories. Their only two losses at the Etihad Stadium this season has been against Manchester United and Liverpool in the FA Cup and League Cup respectively.
- Although, the Blues are favourites to triumph on Saturday, the Blues team will not have forgotten their injury-time 1-0 defeat at the Stadium of Light on New Year's Day.
- Nicklas Bendtner (pictured right) has scored three goals in his last four Premier League matches. He had scored three in 18 top flight matches for Sunderland prior to this run.
- Should Carlos Tevez be named in the starting eleven it will be his first league start for the Citizens since September 10 at home to Wigan Athletic. Sergio Aguero scored a hat-trick to down the Latics 3-0 on that day.
- Having been knocked out of the FA Cup on Tuesday with a 2-0 loss at home to Everton in a quarter-final replay, the Black Cats look to have lost their final chance of Europa League football this season. Martin O’Neill’s side sit 10 points behind sixth placed Newcastle United with only eight games remaining.
- David Silva has five goals and 14 assists to his name in the league this season, but his last seven top flight appearances have yielded just the solitary assist.
- A win for Manchester City will put them top of the Premier League table on goal difference, although, Manchester United would retake the position with a win or a draw at Blackburn Rovers on Monday night.
- Sunderland have not won away from the Stadium of Light in the top flight since a 1-0 win at Stoke City on February 4. They have not scored more than one goal on their travels in a league match since a 4-1 thrashing of Wigan in January.
Having been humbled with a draw at Stoke City last weekend, Manchester City will be firing on all cylinders on Saturday. Sunderland have looked a more confident and less calamitous side since Martin O’Neill replaced Steve Bruce as manager in late 2011, but getting a result at the Etihad Stadium will be incredibly tough.
Editor's Prediction
Manchester City 4-1 Sunderland 
