When Enzo Maresca’s high-flying Manchester City host Sunderland at the Etihad Stadium this weekend, a number of young players will get the chance to show what they can do.

City arrive after winning their opening four Premier League matches, including a hard-fought derby victory at Old Trafford, though they will have to navigate without the suspended Phil Foden. 

Meanwhile, Regis Le Bris's resilient Sunderland side travel to Manchester aiming to build on their return to the Premier League and early-season progress.

Young players could play an important role as both sides look to impose their tactical approach.

Striver.Football profiles six standout young players, their key statistics, and why they are the ones to watch.

Manchester City Young Players to Watch

Ayyoub Bouaddi (18)

Position: Central Midfielder
Key 2026/27 Stats: 2 PL apps | 24 mins played | 90% pass completion 

Why Watch Him: Signed from Lille over the summer in a deal reportedly worth around £86 million, the 18-year-old sensation has made an early impression since moving to England.

Bouaddi pairs an intense work ethic with incredibly clean, forward-thinking press resistance. With City managing midfield exhaustion, Bouaddi’s multi-layered profile allows him to act either as a deep progressor or a secondary box-to-box engine. 

Watch for his ability to close Sunderland's transition lanes early.

Rayan Cherki (23)

Position: Attacking Midfielder/Winger
Key 2026/27 Stats: 4 Premier League apps | 2 goals | 2 assists | 91% passing accuracy

Why Watch Him: In the absence of the suspended Foden, Rayan Cherki could take on greater creative responsibility in Foden's absence.

Fresh off scoring in the mid-week EFL Cup win against Norwich, Cherki has quickly established himself as an important creative option between the lines.

His ability to use both feet, vision and flair make him a difficult player to defend in 1-v-1 situations. Expect him to pull Sunderland's defensive shape apart to feed Erling Haaland.

Abdukodir Khusanov (22)

Position: Centre-Back
Key 2026/27 Stats: 3 PL apps | 269 mins played | 95% pass completion | 15 duels won | 1 Clean Sheet 

Why Watch Him: The 22-year-old Uzbek international center-back has rapidly become an absolute fan favorite at the Etihad due to his recovery pace and aggressive tackling style. Khusanov's pace and tackling ability make him well suited to defending transitions.

As City push their fullbacks high up the pitch, Khusanov will be tasked with locking down isolated situations against Sunderland’s explosive wingers.

Sunderland Young Players to Watch

Noah Sadiki (21)

Position: Defensive Midfielder/Full-Back
Key 2026/27 Stats: 4 Premier League appearances | 96% passing completion rate

Why Watch Him: The DR Congo international has quickly established himself as Sunderland's defensive safeguard. 

Operating from the base of midfield, Sadiki has shown an ability to retain possession under pressure, Sadiki is adept at keeping possession under heavy pressure. 

His main challenge this weekend will be shadowing Cherki. If Sadiki can successfully choke the half-spaces and execute clean transitional passes out of the back, Sunderland stand a real chance of frustrating the hosts.

Malick Fofana (21)

Position: Winger
Key 2026/27 Stats: 2 Premier League appearances | 100% take-on completion 

Why Watch Him: Sunderland beat out massive top-flight competition to secure the highly-rated 21-year-old Belgian international wide forward over the summer. 

Fofana is a touchline winger defined by explosive acceleration and highly unpredictable dribbling cadences. With City known to push high lines, Fofana's direct nature and ability to break rapidly down the left flank will be Sunderland’s primary outlet to test City's backline.

Chris Rigg (19)

Position: Central Midfielder
Key 2026/27 Stats: 86% ball recovery rate

Why Watch Him: Sunderland’s highly-regarded home-grown talent continues to break through as a tactical engine room option. 

Rigg brings boundless energy, technical poise, and intense defensive dedication to the Black Cats' midfield block. While he has largely been utilized as a high-impact reinforcement off the bench in recent league outings, his spatial awareness will be crucial late in the game to limit Manchester City's sustained attacking overloads.

What Young Players Can Learn From Manchester City vs Sunderland

Covering for Suspended Stars: When elite creators like Phil Foden are absent, managers rely on youthful depth—such as Rayan Cherki stepping into the creative nucleus—to maintain offensive rhythm without missing a beat.

Defensive Transitions Under Pressure: High-pressing teams like Manchester City require physically imposing, fast centre-backs like Abdukodir Khusanov to snuff out rapid counter-attacks initiated by dynamic wide forwards.

Midfield Screening and Control: The battle between deep anchors like Noah Sadiki and progressive technical dynamos like Ayyoub Bouaddi will dictate whether Sunderland can frustrate the hosts or get overrun in the half-spaces.