Roberto Mancini is expecting his Manchester City side (6/5 to win – match coupon) to face a difficult game at the Stadium of Light but knows victory could be vital to bolster their bid to finish in the Premier League top four.

The Italian manager is preparing his side to face Sunderland (23/10 to win, 9/4 draw – match coupon) on Sunday afternoon knowing confidence should be high after they beat title contenders Chelsea in their last game.

Sunderland ended a miserable 14-match unbeaten run during the week when they beat Bolton and Mancini has said he wants a win to help City achieve Champions League qualification (City 11/8 – FA Premiership To 4 Finish).

They are currently in fifth place in the Premier League, only outside the top four on goal difference but with a game in hand on Spurs ahead of them.

Mancini is expecting the Black Cats to offer a “different test” than Chelsea and his players must concentrate and give 100% to get the three points.

“It is important we win this game if we want to continue our improvement. In the last three of four games we have performed very well,” said the Italian.

Darren Bent (15/8 – Anytime Goalscorer) scored a hat-trick in Sunderland’s win over Bolton midweek, with the former Spurs striker responsible for half of his side’s league goals so far this season, and he is likely to pose the biggest threat to Mancini’s side.