Manchester City secured a thrilling 5-3 home win over Sunderland at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, maintaining their 100% start to the Premier League season. The match saw six goals scored, with Sunderland's Brian Brobbey scoring a hat-trick. City's win puts them three points clear at the top of the league heading into the first international break. The match was a pulsating clash, with Sunderland twice equalizing before City sealed the points late on.
The match got off to a lively start, with Sunderland taking the lead through Brobbey's goal, only for City to respond through Enzo Fernandez's first goal for the club. Fernandez's free kick in the ninth minute gave City the lead, but Brobbey equalized three minutes later. Rayan Cherki restored City's lead in the 29th minute, but Brobbey equalized again just before halftime. The first half was breathless, with both teams creating chances.
City took the lead after halftime through Antoine Semenyo's emphatic finish, but Sunderland continued to threaten. Brobbey scored his second goal of the match in the 65th minute, and then completed his hat-trick in the 75th minute. However, City's Erling Haaland sealed the win for City in the 84th minute, putting the game beyond Sunderland's reach.
The win maintains City's perfect start to the season, with three wins from three matches. Sunderland, meanwhile, remain in the bottom half of the table. The match was notable for the performance of Brobbey, who became the first Sunderland player to score a Premier League hat-trick since Jermaine Defoe in 2016.
In other Premier League matches on Sunday, Liverpool secured a 1-0 win over Bournemouth, with Alexander Isak scoring the only goal of the match. The win was only Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola's second Premier League win since taking charge at Anfield. Leeds United missed the chance to move into the top four, drawing 0-0 at home to Crystal Palace.
Manchester United will look to shake off a poor start to the campaign when they travel to Fulham on Sunday. Fulham are looking to move off the bottom of the table, and will be boosted by the return of their home form. Sunderland, meanwhile, will look to build on their performance against City when they next take to the pitch.
The Premier League continues after the international break, with several top-of-the-table clashes set to take place. City will look to maintain their lead at the top of the table, while Liverpool and Leeds United will aim to close the gap. Sunderland will look to build on their performance against City and move up the table.
Key points
- Manchester City maintained their 100% start to the Premier League season with a 5-3 win over Sunderland.
- Brian Brobbey scored a hat-trick for Sunderland, but was unable to secure a win for his team.
- Liverpool secured a 1-0 win over Bournemouth, with Alexander Isak scoring the only goal of the match.
