Manchester: Pep Guardiola aims to lead Manchester City to a victory and secure three points in their away game against Sunderland tonight, hoping to close the gap on league leaders Arsenal. The Premier League season kicks off in 2026 with four matches, and second-placed Manchester City will visit seventh-placed Sunderland at 3:00 AM. According to Thai News Agency, Pep Guardiola commented on the team's readiness for this game, noting the positive development of Rodri's return to training, which might allow him to play. Guardiola acknowledged the unique challenges this season due to injuries and expressed a modest expectation for 2026, stating, "I just want to win today, because my hopes are very low." For this game, Manchester City will be without Omar Marmouz and Ryan Aït-Nouri, who are on international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations. The team is also missing several key players due to injuries, including Jérémy Doku, Mateo Kovacic, Oscar Bobb, and John Stones. However, they still have a strong lineup wi th Matheus Nunes, Rúben Dias, Bernardo Silva, Nico Gonzalez, Tiggani Reinders, and Ryan Cherki. The attack will be spearheaded by Phil Foden and Erling Haaland, who has already scored 19 goals this season. On the other side, Sunderland, led by coach Regis LeBry, faces their own challenges with several players injured or on international duty. Daniel Ballard and Aji Alese are still recovering, and Habib Diarra, Bertrand Traoré, Chemsdine Talby, Noah Sadiki, Arthur Masuaku, and Reinildo Mandava are all away at the Africa Cup of Nations. This situation opens opportunities for reserve players such as Dennis Serkin, Lutcharel Geirtrauda, Chris Rigg, and Simon Adingra. Meanwhile, Liverpool, currently fourth in the league, are set to host 16th-placed Leeds United at Anfield at 00:30. Liverpool is boosted by the return of Dominik Szoboszlai from suspension, though Joe Gomez remains unavailable. Alexander Isak, Giovanni Leoni, and Mohamed Salah are also missing due to injuries and international duty. The rest of the squad is ready, including Jeremy Frimpong, Ibrahima Konaté, Virgil van Dijk, Milos Krkez, Ryan Grafenberg, Curtis Jones, Alexis Mac Allister, Florian Wirtz, and Hugo Ekitique. Liverpool manager Arne Slot expressed confidence in his team's readiness, particularly highlighting the adaptation challenges faced by Florian Wirtz in the competitive league. He remains optimistic about the Leeds match, having addressed previous shortcomings. Leeds United, managed by Daniel Farke, confronts a setback with key defender Joe Rodon's ankle injury, likely prompting a return to a four-man defense featuring Ao Tanaka. The team is buoyed by Dominic Calvert-Lewin's consistent scoring, with Gabriel Gudmundsson, Anton Stuck, Brendan Aaronsson, and Noah Okafor fit and ready to play. In other matches, Crystal Palace will host Fulham at 00:30, and Brentford will face Tottenham Hotspur at 03:00.