Manchester City overcame Sunderland 5-3, who fought back with Brian Brobbey’s hat-trick, and are now the only side with a perfect record in this Premier League season.
In an unrelenting exchange of blows that laid both backlines bare, Manchester City emerged victorious in an eight-goal thriller against Sunderland. Despite the visitors staying in contention courtesy of a superb hat-trick from Dutch forward Brian Brobbey, they ultimately succumbed 5-3 to Enzo Maresca’s side, who maintained their flawless start to remain outright league leaders.
For only the fifth time in their history, City have won their opening five league matches. The Black Cats, buoyed by claiming their first European victory in over 50 years, showed plenty of grit throughout an electric encounter that ignited after just nine minutes, when Argentine Enzo Fernandez caught the goalkeeper cold with a low finish at the near post to fire City ahead.
Sunderland delivered an immediate response three minutes later when Enzo Le Fee threaded a pinpoint pass through the heart of the defence to put Brian Brobbey clean through, and the striker calmly slotted past Gianluigi Donnarumma. The hosts restored their advantage on the half-hour mark during a spell of total dominance; pressing aggressively to force a turnover high up the pitch, the ball broke to Semenyo, who squared for Rayan Cherki to sweep home.
Yet four minutes later, parity was restored once again. A delivery from the right found Thomas Meunier, who spotted an unmarked Brobbey for a routine tap-in. Amid some chaotic defending from both sides, Semenyo capitalised on Marc Guehi’s scuffed effort right on the stroke of half-time, pouncing from inside the penalty area to send City into the break with the lead.
Enzo then looked to release Haaland with a searching pass that deflected off a defender and sat up invitingly for Semenyo, who clinically tucked away his second to make it 4-2. The breathless spectacle took another twist just two minutes later as Brobbey struck again, turning home Nilson’s cross from point-blank range to reduce the arrears to 4-3. Finally, Erling Haaland turned in a Gvardiol delivery to seal the points with City’s fifth.
