Manchester City host Sunderland at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday afternoon, with the Premier League’s fifth round bringing the newly confirmed line-ups and the usual pre-match stir of players beginning their warm-up routines.
Key takeaways
- Manchester City face Sunderland in Premier League matchweek five.
- The fixture takes place at the Etihad Stadium.
- Kick-off is scheduled for 15:00 on Sunday, 20 September 2026.
- Both sides have confirmed their starting teams before the match.
- City and Sunderland players are on the pitch for their pre-match preparations.
An Etihad afternoon in the fifth round
There is a full programme feel to this one: a Sunday 15:00 kick-off at the Etihad, Manchester City at home and Sunderland arriving for a test that comes early in the Premier League season but rarely lacks consequence.
The game forms part of the fifth set of fixtures of the 2026-27 campaign. With the teams now named, the focus turns from the selection sheets to the grass, where both squads have emerged to start their warm-ups ahead of kick-off.
Teams set for kick-off
City will look to make home advantage count in front of their Etihad crowd, while Sunderland begin the afternoon with the chance to measure themselves against one of the division’s established powers.
The match gets under way at 15:00 on 20 September, with the early-season table still taking shape and every point carrying a little extra weight before autumn properly settles over the fixture list.



