Manchester City preserved their perfect winning record under manager Enzo Maresca with a 5-3 victory over Sunderland at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday. The win extends their lead at the top of the Premier League to three points. The match was a wild eight-goal spectacle that saw City take the lead three separate times in the first half. Goals from Enzo Fernandez, Rayan Cherki, and an Antoine Semenyo double kept the hosts ahead despite a sensational hat-trick from Sunderland striker Brian Brobbey.
The Etihad crowd was treated to one of the most unpredictable opening halves of the season. Enzo Fernandez set the tone in the ninth minute, catching the Sunderland defense off guard with a clever free-kick to score his first goal for the club. However, the visitors responded almost immediately as Brian Brobbey exploited space in the City box to level the scores. Rayan Cherki restored City’s advantage with a sharp finish, only for Brobbey to strike back once more.
Antoine Semenyo put the hosts ahead for a third time just before the interval, marking a rare milestone in Premier League history where a team took the lead three separate times within a single half. Shortly after the restart, Semenyo doubled his tally to make it 4-2, giving City their first two-goal cushion of the afternoon. Yet Sunderland refused to yield; Brobbey completed his hat-trick just two minutes later, capitalizing on persistent defensive lapses from the champions to keep the contest on a knife-edge.
Erling Haaland provided the decisive moment in the 81st minute, latching onto a precise pass in the penalty area to slott home City’s fifth goal. The late strike held extra significance: Sunderland were the only active Premier League club Haaland had failed to score against. By finding the net, he completed his personal checklist, having now scored against all 22 Premier League opponents he has encountered since arriving in England.
Despite the loss, Sunderland manager Régis Le Bris praised his side’s offensive bravery, noting that Brobbey’s physical presence and sharp movement proved they could compete against Europe’s elite without abandoning their core playing identity. Le Bris was pleased with the performance, but acknowledged that his side needs to work on their defensive strategy to achieve better results against top-tier teams.
While the victory marks seven consecutive wins across all competitions under Maresca, the Italian manager was candid about his team’s defensive vulnerabilities. “I prefer to win 1-0 than 5-3,” Maresca admitted after the final whistle. “But I knew how difficult it would be. We found a way to win the game, but we have to learn from these moments and improve our defensive control.”
City currently stand as the only team across the top four divisions of English football to maintain a 100% winning record this season. However, conceding three goals at home highlights areas for urgent improvement during the two-week international break. When fixtures resume, City face one of their toughest tests of the campaign—a high-stakes road trip to face Liverpool at Anfield.
Key points
- Manchester City extended their perfect start under Enzo Maresca with a 5-3 win over Sunderland.
- Erling Haaland scored against all 22 Premier League opponents he has encountered since arriving in England.
- Manchester City face Liverpool at Anfield in their next match.
