Manchester City aims to secure their fifth consecutive Premier League victory as they host Sunderland at the Etihad Stadium this Sunday afternoon. The Citizens recently enjoyed a dominant 5-0 win over Norwich City in the EFL Cup, while Sunderland celebrated their first Europa League victory against AZ Alkmaar just a day prior. Enzo Maresca is thriving as the manager of Man City, leading the team to six straight wins across various competitions, netting 15 goals and maintaining clean sheets in their last four outings. In their recent match against Norwich, a significantly altered City squad overwhelmed the Championship side, with 17-year-old academy product Floyd Samba—son of former Premier League defender Christopher Samba—shining with two goals on his impressive full debut. Before facing Norwich, City triumphed in a contentious derby against Manchester United in the Premier League. Maresca emphasized that their "unbelievable" display, playing with 10 men for over an hour, should not be diminished by a VAR error concerning Erling Haaland's decisive goal. Currently, City sits joint-top of the table with defending champions Arsenal, having lost only two of their last 30 Premier League matches (W20 D8). They aim to achieve five wins at the start of a league campaign for the fifth time this weekend. The Citizens are optimistic about their chances against Sunderland, having gone unbeaten in their last 14 Premier League home encounters with the Black Cats (W12 D2), with their last defeat to them occurring in January 1998 (1-0) at Maine Road. Additionally, Maresca could join the ranks of just six managers who have won their first five Premier League matches at the helm of a club, a feat previously achieved by notable names such as Carlo Ancelotti, Pep Guardiola, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.