Manchester City 5-3 Sunderland: City go three points clear in the Premier League after thriller

Despite Brian Brobbey’s hat trick, Enzo Maresca’s side did enough to grab all three points and secure Manchester City’s seventh consecutive win.

Erling Haaland has now scored against every Premier League club he’s played against becoming only the second player to achieve that stat, after Harry Kane.

Manchester City head into the international break with a 100% win record and sit three points ahead of Arsenal in the Premier League.

The visitors didn’t make it easy for City as Brian Brobbey scored a hat-trick and became the first Sunderland player to do so in the Premier League since Jermain Defoe in 2016.

As it happened

Enzo Fernández opened up the scoring in the first 10 minutes as he bent in a free kick from the edge of the area, catching Robin Roefs off guard at the near post. Netting his first goal for the club since his deadline-day move to Manchester City.

Two minutes later, Sunderland responded immediately as Brian Brobbey levelled things up in the 11th minute thanks to a beautiful pass by Enzo Le Fée through City’s defensive line that played through the Dutchman before sliding the ball past Gianluigi Donnarumma.

On the half-hour mark, Rayan Cherki put Manchester City back ahead after a high press from the Citizens allowed Iliman Ndiaye to win the ball back in midfield before pouncing when Antoine Semenyo teed up Cherki in the box to pick out the bottom corner.

Sunderland responded in quick fashion for the second time in the game as Brobbey got his second of the game in the 33rd minute thanks to a beautiful team play goal which linked up Le Fée and Thomas Meunier before the Belgian squared it across the goal towards Brobbey for an open net. And despite a lengthy VAR check, the goal was given.

In the 43rd minute, Semenyo slammed home the third of the game, as Manchester City grabbed the lead back for the third time. Marc Guéhi’s effort to tee up Erling Haaland was blocked by Daniel Ballard. However, the deflection off the centre-back allowed Semenyo to fire a fierce effort at goal through multiple bodies before smashing into the back of the net.

On the counter-attack, Cherki played a brilliant trivela ball through to Ndiaye, who looked certain to shoot one-on-one with Roefs. However, he squared it to Haaland, who fired his shot wide of the post from close range in the 45th minute.

Seconds before half-time, Brobbey fired an effort towards goal and nearly lobbed Donnarumma as the ball rattled the crossbar due to a heavy deflection.

City doubled their lead in the 57th minute as Semenyo got his brace after luck fell the winger’s way when the Sunderland defensive duo of Kevin Danso and Nordi Mukiele collided, deflecting the ball into the path of Semenyo. The winger made no mistake in planting a powerful shot into the bottom corner.

Goals didn’t stop flowing in, as Brobbey made it a hat-trick on the hour mark; Xhaka’s killer pass over the top of City’s defensive line picked out Nilson Angulo, who tipped it past Donnarumma for Brobbey to finish the ball in the back of the net to reduce the deficit and restore hope.

Manchester City’s lead nearly vanished 10 minutes later, as a dangerous long free kick by Xhaka caused problems in City’s box. Guéhi and Donnarumma failed to clear the ball, and Rúben Dias got a touch with his head; however, the ball spun off his head towards his own goal. Fortunately for City, the captain reacted quickly enough to race back and clear the ball off the line.

Haaland finally got his name on the scoresheet in the 81st minute after Joško Gvardiol was sent running through by Jérémy Doku before releasing a low cross along Roefs’ six-yard box, with Haaland sliding to the far post to rule out any chance of Sunderland getting a point.

In the 90th minute, Ballard nearly restored faith in the game when he sliced the ball on the rebound, which hit the post.

Manchester City held on and now head into the international break with a 100% win record, sitting three points ahead of Arsenal in the Premier League.