Bench Notes and Bold Bets: City’s Quiet Substitutions Ahead of Sunderland Showdown
6 December 2025
Starting XI and game plan
Pep Guardiola, Manchester City’s manager, named the French forward Rayan Cherki in the starting lineup to face Sunderland at the Etihad in the 15th round of the Premier League. The Spaniard kept his usual core, with Tejani Rinders on the bench and Cherki and Bernardo Silva starting alongside Phil Foden.
The two Arab players, Rayan Ait Nouri and Omar Marmoush, were left on the bench, joined by Savinho, Rinders, Nathan Aké and several City regulars who could come on late if needed.
On the visitors’ side, Granit Xhaka captained the midfield as the visitors’ main creative engine from the middle of the park.
City’s starting XI:
Goalkeeper: Donnarumma
Defense: Nunez, Diaz, Gvardiol, Orieli
Midfield: Bernardo Silva, Gonzalez, Cherqi
Attack: Foden, Haaland, Doku
Sunderland’s starting XI:
Goalkeeper: Rofs
Defense: Home, Mokili, Balard, Alderiti, Gertroida
Midfield: Traori, Xhaka, Sadiki, Le Ve
Attack: Isidore
City arrive at the ground with 28 points in second place, while Sunderland sit on 23 points in sixth, ready to upset the script if the moment comes.
Note: the bench is a crowded cinema; you never know which scene will steal the show.
Kick-off snapshot:
The tactical backdrop suggests City leaning on their typical possession-based approach, with Sunderland hoping for quick transitions and a sting in the counter. A late substitution can tilt the balance, and the bench will be watching closely to see who gets the surprise cameo.
