WHEN Sunderland got their fixture list at the start of the season, this week looked terrifying.
But after leaving Liverpool on Wednesday feeling they could have taken more than a point, there will be more fear in the Manchester City changing room today than that of the visitors.
It might sound mad to say the team who have won four out of the last five titles will be worried about little old Sunderland.
But Regis Le Bris’ men go to the Etihad full of confidence, with nothing to lose and the knowledge they can hurt teams.
Don’t forget they held Prem leaders Arsenal to a 2-2 draw last month, thanks to Brian Brobbey’s 94th-minute equaliser.
Their success is down to their ruthless approach in the summer, replacing established figures who helped get the club back into the Premier League.
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Goalkeeper Anthony Patterson played every game he was available for last season — helping the Black Cats return to the promised land via the play-offs.
But he has not played a second in the Premier League this year, replaced by Robin Roefs.
It has been repeated across the pitch and there are few who can argue with the decisions.
It sounds harsh and it can be very hard to live through, just as I did at Watford. I was the captain and top scorer from the previous season and sat there wondering whether I would be good enough or if they were coming for me next.
Etienne Capoue arrived from Tottenham when we got promoted and immediately I thought, ‘Oh s**t, I don’t think I can get to this level’.
But that doubt turned me into a player capable of playing and scoring in the Premier League.
Signings like Roefs and, of course, Granit Xhaka help raise the level of everyone.
At the start of this season, Dan Ballard probably did not think he had this sort of form in him but now the big defender is causing problems for almost every side Sunderland face.
That cold-hearted recruitment has meant they are not just surviving but dominating — scaring far bigger teams than themselves.
They have travelled to Chelsea and Anfield and come away with a win and a draw and also taken a point from champions-elect Arsenal in incredible fashion.
Those big scalps, like we had beating Liverpool in our first Prem season, taste all the sweeter when you have spent the summer reading every paper and pundit predicting you will go straight back down.
There is no reason they cannot hurt City.
Le Bris would have sat his players down yesterday to watch the four goals Guardiola’s men shipped at Fulham — and it will have filled the room with confidence.
At the start of the season — and I have been there — they would have looked at this game and thought it would be nice if they could keep it down to five or six.
They will have worked hard on all the dangers Erling Haaland, Phil Foden and everyone else pose.
But those weak spots on show at Craven Cottage will have them up for today even more.
Whatever happens at the Etihad doesn’t really matter in the grand scheme for Sunderland, which is exactly what can make them dangerous to Guardiola.
If City were to slip up, or even only win by a single goal, the critics will be out in force for City and their stars.
Sunderland do not have to concern themselves with any of that. They are not only making the established order at the top look silly at times this season but also those six clubs who came up and went straight back down over the past two years.
Sunderland have made those at last season’s relegated clubs Southampton, Ipswich and Leicester look incompetent and ignorant.
They all blamed their pathetic attempts at survival on the gap just being too big for the poor promoted clubs nowadays.
The gap is huge but it is made much bigger when you come up with sentiment and stick with players who are not good enough as well as the idea that you can play your football against far superior sides.
None of those sides went out to beat up their opponents last season. They wanted to play them at their own game, show everyone how good they are — and were sent packing.
They are being embarrassed by Sunderland. The best could still be yet to come for them, too.
Their initial plan for the January window would have been to see if they needed to add a couple of players to beat the drop.
Now they are in dreamland.
And they will be thinking, with the right additions, they could nick a European place given how tight the league is at the moment.
And why not dream?
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