Manchester City maintain perfect start with 5-3 win over Sunderland
Manchester City stayed perfect at the top of the Premier League after beating Sunderland 5-3 at the Etihad, with Antoine Semenyo scoring twice and Erling Haaland finally finding a goal against the Black Cats.
City preserve flawless league start
Enzo Maresca’s team have won all five of their league matches this season and are the division’s only side still carrying a 100 per cent record.
The victory also gives Maresca a place in Premier League history. He has won his opening five matches as Manchester City manager, becoming the sixth coach to make that start in the competition.
City’s scorers were:
- Antoine Semenyo, twice
- Enzo Fernandez
- Rayan Cherki
- Erling Haaland
Brobbey drags Sunderland back into contest
The final margin did not reflect Sunderland’s threat. Brian Brobbey struck a superb hat-trick for the visitors, repeatedly exposing uncertainty in City’s defensive line and keeping the result in doubt deep into the second half.
Brobbey levelled at 1-1 and 2-2 before scoring again to make it 4-3, briefly quietening the Etihad crowd. It was Sunderland’s first Premier League hat-trick since Jermain Defoe achieved the feat in 2016.
| Brobbey milestone | Detail |
|---|---|
| First Sunderland Premier League hat-trick since | Jermain Defoe in 2016 |
| Premier League record | Fourth player to score a hat-trick against the team starting the day first |
| Previous league goals this season | 0 |
The Sunderland striker joins Robbie Fowler, Dirk Kuyt and Romelu Lukaku as the only players to record a Premier League treble against the side leading the table at the start of the day.
Dias clearance stops late Sunderland surge
Sunderland created enough opportunities to take something from a frantic match, but Rúben Dias delivered a crucial last-ditch intervention with City leading 4-3.
The defender produced an acrobatic clearance from the goal line to deny Sunderland what would have been a fourth goal. The stop eased the pressure on the champions and helped swing the closing stages back towards the home side.
Haaland completes Premier League set
Haaland then sealed the result with a back-post tap-in for City’s fifth. Sunderland had been the only Premier League opponent he had faced without scoring against, after two previous appearances without a goal.
The Norwegian has now scored against each of the 25 Premier League clubs he has encountered. City move on with their unbeaten start intact, while Sunderland can take encouragement from a bold attacking performance despite the defeat.
