Sunderland, as a promoted team this season, has performed brilliantly. Their pragmatic defensive-counter-attacking style, using formations like 4-4-2 or 5-3-2, has placed them in mid-table, making them one of the biggest surprises in the English Premier League. Their defensive performance has been solid, keeping the number of goals conceded within a reasonable range. They rely on the midfield core for interceptions and the coordinated efforts of the defensive line to build a solid defensive system. Set pieces are a primary scoring method, but their positional attacks lack potency. Offensively, they depend on breakthroughs from the wings and the link-up play of Brobbey up front. Several players are capable of scoring, and the offensive firepower is evenly distributed, avoiding over-reliance on a single core player. Manchester City, a title contender in the English Premier League, currently sits second in the league this season. They have a tactical system that focuses on possession-based play and coordinated offence and defence, with both aspects of their game performing at a top-tier level in the Premier League. Their offensive firepower is consistent. Even with key forwards absent, they can still create scoring opportunities through midfield control and wing breakthroughs. After the initial season struggles with Ederson's absence and Rodri's injury, the team regained its dominance in December. Rodri's return has significantly improved the efficiency of their offensive-defensive transitions, and the stability of their defensive line is outstanding, conceding only 8 goals in the last 10 league games, ranking among the top three defensive teams in the Premier League. Guardiola's recent tactical innovations include reducing ineffective possession and increasing direct passes to speed up the game, activating players like Doku on the wings, making the attack more impactful.