Pep Guardiola needed a late Paddy McNair own goal to make a winning start at Manchester City as David Moyes lost his first game as Sunderland manager.
Sergio Aguero’s penalty, after Raheem Sterling was fouled by Patrick van Aanholt, gave City an early lead.
But Guardiola, who left England keeper Joe Hart out of his starting XI, saw his new side concede to Jermain Defoe.
City made few chances, but snatched an 87th-minute winner when McNair put into his own net.
Guardiola, 45, comes to Manchester with six league championships to his name – three each from his spells at Barcelona and Bayern Munich – and with his arrival comes an expectation he will guide City to a first Premier League title since 2014.