TEAM NEWS

Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany is expected to return against Sunderland after eight games out with a calf injury.

Pablo Zabaleta and Fernando are also available, leaving midfielder Samir Nasri as the only major absentee.

Sunderland defender Younes Kaboul is likely to be sidelined for several weeks because of a hamstring problem.

Adam Matthews is out (ankle ligament damage) and Jack Rodwell is suspended, but Jeremain Lens returns to the squad.

MOTD COMMENTATOR'S NOTES

Guy Mowbray: "Manchester City will reveal their new (old style) crest  before the game, but fans will more eagerly anticipate the team news to see if Vincent Kompany is back.

"In the eight games their captain has started this season, City are unbeaten and have conceded just once. They've lost five of nine without him and have shipped 18 goals.

"Sunderland may have only taken two points from their last four visits to City, but numbers don't tell the full story, with the Black Cats giving their hosts a real scare in three of those games.

"They've also led at some stage in seven of the last 10 meetings. If it happens again, nerves will be twitching at the Etihad."

Twitter: @Guymowbray 

WHAT THE MANAGERS SAY

Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini on the title race: "It's very important to be involved, as we are now, at the end of January.

"If you can be leaders before then that is better, but you need to be there on the last day of January. Then, in the last three months, you can win the title.

"We lost important points against Arsenal. I said before the game that it was a game of six points but it was not a decisive game. I repeat that you never win the title in December."

Sunderland boss Sam Allardyce: "We are faced with the types of pressures that come with being talked about as relegation candidates week in and week out, about people being dissatisfied with our performances, which if you lose football matches, is going to happen.

"We would have been ahead of ourselves a couple of weeks ago when we got back-to-back wins and we got three wins out of six, but now we have slipped back again to being under where I would have liked us to have been, on the basis that we have lost too many games instead of drawing a few."

LAWRO'S PREDICTION

Sunderland will be much improved - Sam Allardyce will have gone nuts at his players after their defeat at Chelsea.

But it will be typical of Manchester City to come back from losing at Arsenal and play really well.

Lawro's full predictions v SAM the super-computer

• Think you can do better than Lawro? Predict the score for this match and the rest of this round's Premier League fixtures in our Predictor game.

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

• Manchester City are unbeaten at home against Sunderland in the top flight for 13 matches spanning 34 years, winning 10, drawing three and scoring 36 goals.
• Sunderland last won at Manchester City in January 1998 in the second tier. Their last top-flight away victory in this fixture came in December 1981.

Manchester City

• City have only taken seven points from their last six matches (W2, D1, L3).
• They have already lost five league games this season. No side has won the title after losing as many times by Christmas since Everton in 1986-87.
• Manchester City have won 15 of their 19 Premier League home games in 2015 (D1, L3).
• However, Manuel Pellegrini's side could go eight successive league matches without a clean sheet at home for the first time since 1991.
• Sergio Aguero's last 11 Premier League goals have all been scored at the Etihad Stadium.

Sunderland

• Sunderland have lost their last three Premier League games - they haven't fared worse since a five-match run ending in April last year.
• They have earned just one win and five points in their last 11 away games (W1, D2, L8).
• The Black Cats have won only two of their last 10 Premier League Boxing Day matches (D4, L4).
• The team that has been 19th in the Premier League on Christmas Day has gone on to be relegated in each of the last four years.
• Sunderland have conceded a league-high 33 goals and have allowed their opponents the most attempts on target (106) in the Premier League this season.
• Jermain Defoe has scored six goals in 10 Premier League appearances on Boxing Day.