Pep Guardiola's 'shaky' Man City are in sights of Sunderland striker Fabio Borini
Thursday 2 March 2017 11:58, UK
Fabio Borini is hoping Sunderland can take advantage of Manchester City's "shaky' defence in Sunday's Premier League match at the Stadium of Light.
Sunderland sit bottom of the Premier League table heading into their Super Sunday clash against Pep Guardiola's City, live on Sky Sports 1HD, and have lost their last two matches without managing to score.
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City's form has improved in recent weeks and the club are unbeaten in their last eight games, but Black Cats forward Borini believes their upcoming opponents continue to remain vulnerable under Guardiola.
"They seem a little shaky at the back because of the way Guardiola wants them to play - but don't take that as a criticism because that's the way he's won titles in the past," Borini told Sunderland's official website.
"He has his philosophy and that won't change this weekend, so we have to take advantage of that in any way we can.
"We need to frustrate them and if that means we have to be defensive, then so be it because we have to stop their influence on the game."
Sunderland are engaged in a fifth successive top-flight survival fight, with Borini at the centre of the club's recent escapes from relegation to the Sky Bet Championship.
The 25-year-old Italian has drawn strength from his previous experiences and remains optimistic his side can still avoid the drop.
Asked if Sunderland are better prepared because of past relegation battles, Borini said: "Yes, because what we've done in the past few years has been down to what we've done on the pitch.
"It comes down to the togetherness we had and how we fought on the pitch - we worked for one another in every game.
"We know we don't have to play brilliant football to stay up, but confidence is key in modern football and you saw what Leicester did last season when they had it, so we have to stay strong."
