Manchester City will look to bounce back from their defeat to Arsenal on Monday night when they welcome struggling Sunderland to the Etihad on Boxing Day.
The Black Cats will be heavy underdogs having lost their last three matches in a row.
City
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Despite Leicester City sitting five points clear at kickoff on Monday night, the contest between Arsenal and Man City was billed as a clash between the two favourites for the Premier League title.
Leicester's incredible surge to the summit has many believing that they could finish in the top four, but few are yet to truly consider the Foxes as worthy title contenders.
It was therefore a huge match at the Emirates two days ago, and Arsenal opened up a four-point lead on City with a 2-1 victory. First-half strikes from Theo Walcott and Olivier Giroud put the hosts in control before a classy late goal from Yaya Toure gave City late hope.
They were unable to salvage a point and that makes it five Premier League games without an away win. Before Toure's pinpoint shot in the 81st minute, City had not scored on the road in the league in 316 minutes.
With Bayern Munich announcing that Pep Guardiola will be replaced by Carlo Ancelotti from the end of the season, Manuel Pellegrini's position in charge of City looks even more fragile. The latest reports are that City have spoken with Guardiola about taking over and that the Spaniard is interested in tackling the Premier League.
Away performances have been a big worry, but at home City have a fine record in 2015 having won 15 of their 19 Premier League games at the Etihad this calendar year, losing just three.
However, they have not prevented a visitor from scoring at M11 in seven home league games; their longest run without a home clean sheet in six years.
If Sunderland score on Saturday, it will be their longest run without a home clean sheet in league competition since October 1991, when they went 13 without a shutout.
On Boxing Day, City have only lost one of their last eight matches, but that was to Sunderland in 2012.
Recent Premier League form: DLWLWL
Recent form (all competitions): WWLWWL
Sunderland
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Back-to-back clean-sheet victories to end November had Sunderland out of the bottom three, but they have not earned a single point since then and watched others around them find some form.
Three straight defeats in December has left Sam Allardyce's side five from safety and with games away at City and at home to Liverpool to finish the year, the situation could be bleaker come 2016.
On Saturday they travelled to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea and Allardyce might have fancied causing an upset with all of the attention on the home side after the departure of Jose Mourinho.
However, the Blues looked reinvigorated and opened up a 3-0 lead before Sunderland came to life and got on the scoresheet through Fabio Borini. In the end, it was too little, too late and the Black Cats became only the fifth team to lose to the champions in the top flight this season.
The Black Cats' Boxing Day record does not make particularly good reading - they have won only two of their last 10 Premier League Boxing Day matches.
Former City winger Adam Johnson has found the net on his last two post-Christmas appearances, though, and one of those was in the victory over the Citizens three years ago.
Recent form: LWWLLL
Team News
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City's struggles to keep teams out of late can be linked to the absence of captain Vincent Kompany, but the Belgian is fully fit and due to return after six weeks out with a calf injury.
Another key player, Sergio Aguero, made his return against the Gunners, and Pellegrini has insisted that the Argentine was ready to play, despite fellow striker Wilfried Bony expressing his annoyance afterwards at being dropped to the bench.
Samir Nasri remains out for the home side, but Pablo Zabaleta and Fernando are also in line for a return after recovering from injuries.
As for Sunderland, Sam Allardyce revealed today that Younes Kaboul will be out for several weeks with a hamstring injury.
That leaves the Black Cats light at the back and Allardyce might be forced to change from the 5-3-2 formation he has used in recent weeks.
Johnson and Borini could both start behind Jermain Defoe, who has scored six goals in 10 Premier League appearances on Boxing Day.
City possible starting lineup:
Hart; Sagna, Otamendi, Kompany, Clichy; Fernandinho, Toure; De Bruyne, Silva, Sterling; Aguero
Sunderland possible starting lineup:
Pantillimon; Jones, Coates, O'Shea, Van Aanholt; Toivonen, Rodwell, M'Vila; Johnson, Borini; Defoe
Head To Head
City won both meetings between the two last season, but before that they had lost half of the previous eight league encounters.
The two have already met this season in the Capital One Cup, and City scored four times in the opening 36 minutes before taking their foot off the pedal and easing into the fourth round.
We say: City 4-0 Sunderland
With City keen to bounce back after Monday's defeat to Arsenal and Sunderland desperately short of defenders, anything other than a big home win would be a surprise.
Pascal Lemesre
