Aaron briggs

The African Cup: The result of their previous round match in the Premier League has put pressure on Manchester City, but offers an opportunity to Liverpool when the two sides play their respective games on New Year's Day on Thursday.

Arsenal's emphatic 4-1 win over Aston Villa lifted Mikel Arteta's side five points clear at the top of the table, putting the onus on Manchester City to take all three points on what is likely to be a tough and chilly visit to the Stadium of Light to face Sunderland, reports Xinhua.

The African Cup of Nations will play its role in the match with five Sunderland and two Manchester City players currently competing in Morocco, while John Stones and Jeremy Doku are also out for the visiting side.