Rayan Cherki conjured one of the Premier League’s assists of the season as Manchester City cruised to a 3-0 victory over Sunderland, hauling themselves within two points of leaders Arsenal on a day when the champions pounced on their rivals’ rare stumble.
The Gunners’ shock 2-1 defeat at Aston Villa earlier in the afternoon handed City an unexpected lifeline in a title race that had seemed to be slipping away.
Pep Guardiola’s side, who had laboured through a winless run of four games before the international break, responded with ruthless efficiency at the Etihad, their clinical finishing and defensive resolve underscoring a return to form.
Cherki, the 22-year-old French winger on loan from Lyon, lit up the 65th minute with a moment of audacious brilliance. Collecting the ball on the right flank, he nutmegged Sunderland’s Omar Alderete before whipping a no-look rabona cross, that audacious back-heeled delivery, towards the penalty spot. Phil Foden met it with a perfectly timed header, the ball clipping the crossbar before nestling in the net to seal the points.
It was the crowning touch on a dominant display. City had already forged a two-goal lead inside the first half’s closing stages, courtesy of unlikely sources. Ruben Dias unleashed a thunderbolt from 25 yards in the 31st minute, the strike deflecting off Sunderland’s Dan Ballard to wrong-foot keeper Anthony Patterson.
Just four minutes later, Josko Gvardiol, the Croatian centre-back, ghosted unmarked onto Foden’s inswinging corner, planting a downward header past a stranded defence.
Sunderland, punching above their weight in mid-table under new manager Régis Le Bris, threatened a second-half fightback. Wilson Isidor capitalised on a rare Dias slip to race clear, only for Gianluigi Donnarumma to deny him in a one-on-one.
Moments later, Granit Xhaka, the Swiss midfielder pulling strings in midfield, unleashed a half-volley that cannoned off the post, eliciting groans from the travelling fans.
But City’s resolve held firm, and Sunderland’s hopes evaporated with Foden’s goal. Their night turned sour in stoppage time when substitute Luke O’Nien lunged recklessly into Matheus Nunes, earning a straight red card.
The dismissal will sting: O’Nien, a combative leader, now sits out the first Tyne-Wear derby in the top flight since 2016, with Newcastle United looming next weekend at the Stadium of Light.
For City, the win, their first Premier League clean sheet since October, lifts spirits ahead of a congested festive schedule. Guardiola hailed Cherki’s “pure magic”, while Foden’s brace of sorts (assist plus goal) reaffirmed his status as heir to Kevin De Bruyne.
