Manchester City Continue 100% Start After Surviving Brobbey Hat-Trick
Manchester City head into the international break top of the table after edging out Sunderland 5-3 in an eight-goal thriller at the Etihad Stadium, with Erling Haaland's late strike settling the game despite a Brian Brobbey hat-trick for the visitors.
City Take An Early Lead Before Sunderland Hit Back Twice
Manchester City moved three points clear at the top of the Premier League after surviving an eight-goal thriller against Sunderland at the Etihad Stadium, with Enzo Maresca's side now unbeaten in five league games since he took charge. Enzo Fernandez opened the scoring in the ninth minute with his first goal for the club since his £125 million move from Chelsea, beating goalkeeper Robin Roefs with a free-kick from a tight angle. Sunderland were level three minutes later when Brian Brobbey took a pass from Enzo Le Fee and finished with the outside of his boot, before Rayan Cherki restored City's lead. The Black Cats responded again when Thomas Meunier latched onto another Le Fee pass and squared for Brobbey to make it 2-2.
Semenyo Puts City Back In Front Before The Break
Antoine Semenyo put City ahead for a third time in the first half with a powerful finish shortly before half-time, a passage of play that marked only the seventh occasion in Premier League history a team has led three separate times in the opening 45 minutes of a match. Semenyo added a second goal of his own in the 57th minute, converting after Cherki's attempted through ball deflected into his path to make it 4-2. City's lead did not last long, though: two minutes later Brobbey completed his hat-trick by prodding into an empty net after Nilson Angulo beat goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma to a Granit Xhaka delivery, and Ruben Dias was needed to clear off the line to deny Sunderland a third equaliser.
Haaland Settles It Late With A Landmark Goal
Erling Haaland put the result beyond doubt in the 81st minute, turning home a low cross from Josko Gvardiol at the far post, with the goal awarded after a VAR review had initially ruled it out for offside. The goal was also a personal landmark: Sunderland had been the only Premier League club Haaland had never scored against, and his strike means he has now found the net against all 25 opponents he has faced in the competition. For Sunderland, Brobbey became the first player to score a hat-trick for the club in the top flight since Jermain Defoe did so against Swansea City in January 2016, in a match that also saw manager Regis Le Bris preside over his 100th game in charge of the club.
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