One wonders if the Manchester City players who walk through this tunnel will be changed in some way. Will they be buoyed by the news of a new head honcho at the club?  

Or will they have one eye taken off the ball if you will?

Sunderland could have a new hero of their own too - new boy Dame N'Doye is on the bench.

Image source, Manchester City

These two tables highlight how the Premier League's struggling teams - Aston Villa excepted - all swung into action during the January transfer window. The top teams appear to be happy with their lot. For now.

Four of the six teams at the bottom spent more than the entire top six combined. Very, very interesting and a definite pattern. 

Image source, #bbcfootball

Image source, #bbcfootball

How are you feeling about life without Manuel Pellegrini Manchester City fans?

And Sunderland followers, happy with the January business?

Tweet me on #bbcfootball.

Image source, Getty Images

Tonight we will see the two top scorers in 2016 on the same pitch.

Both Sergio Aguero and Jerman Defoe have five apiece this year.

"Aguero seems to be the man who turns games in their favour on a very regular basis so we need to stop that threat he has; one by the service and two by getting two or three men around him when he does get the ball," said Sunderland boss Sam Allardyce.

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini speaks to BBC Sport and starts on the issue of his side reacting to the news he will leave the club in the summer.

"The most important thing is the game tonight," says Pellegrini ahead of his 100th Premier League game. "It is very important to keep fighting for the Premier League. All our mind is focused just on the game."

On Kelechi Iheanacho's starting place: "It is not a reward. As a manager you must think what is the best XI to start, he is in a very good moment. It's good for him to play again."

Image source, Reuters

How about that then Manchester City, Kelechi Iheanacho gets another start. His treble at Aston Villa in the FA Cup turned the head of Manuel Pellegrini.

He is currently legging it around in the warm up and Sergio Aguero has just given him a playful push on the cheek.

Sunderland hand a debut to defender Lamine Kone as they make two changes from the side which drew at Bournemouth.

Defender Jan Kirchhoff makes a first start at the Stadium of Light.

Image source, .

Manchester City sport a host of changes from the side which hammered Aston Villa in the FA Cup but perhaps most notable is the fact Kelechi Iheanacho keeps his place. It is just his third league start. Sergio Aguero and Yaya Toure return.

Image source, .

All the fall out around a new future for Manuel Pellegrini will not stop us from running the rule over Sunderland's new boys tonight.

Lamine Kone - a £5m defensive capture from Lorient - has plastered his Twitter page in red and white.

Then there's the brilliantly named Whabi Khazri - a striker with the type of name an R&B artist would be proud of.

Throw in Jan Kirchhoff, external - who sounds like the type of villain you'd get in a Die Hard film - and it's been a productive January window. 

Ask this man if he hopes Manchester City's players will be a little flustered tonight and you're sure to get a big, fat yes.

Image source, Getty Images

Sam Allardyce has been busy trying to stave off relegation with the help of the transfer market.

There are four new faces in his squad. The new men may as well get used to a battle against the drop. Sunderland love nothing more than to spend their time snuggling up to the bottom three.

Image source, Getty Images

I guess we knew it would happen. On deadline day though? That shook the media up eh? Nothing like a surprise announcement.

And so Manchester City now wait for Pep Guardiola to come in. There will be questions. How will they respond? Can Manuel Pellegrini keep his side motivated before leaving?

And so City won't wait,

Pep's at the gate and Manuel's waving bye bye,

United are fading away, 

"But don't look back in anger," I heard you say.

Welcome to our live page for Sunderland v Manchester City, we'll have live text commentary here from 19:00 GMT. To follow all of tonight's games click here.