Manchester City moved ahead of Sunderland at the Etihad Stadium through Enzo Fernández, whose free-kick caught out the visiting defence and flew in at the near post. The Argentine appeared set to deliver a cross, but instead struck directly at goal to give Enzo Maresca’s side the advantage.
| Fixture | Venue | Kick-off | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester City v Sunderland | Etihad Stadium | 15:00 (14:00 local time) | Manchester City 1-0 Sunderland |
Sunderland began in a 4-2-3-1 under Régis Le Bris, with Robin Roefs in goal; Kevin Danso, Nordi Mukiele, Dayann Méthalie, Dan Ballard and Thomas Meunier in defence; Granit Xhaka, Noah Sadiki and Enzo Le Fée in midfield; and Nilson Angulo alongside Brian Brobbey in attack. Le Bris had Jules Ahoka, Chris Rigg, Malick Fofana, Chemsdine Talbi, Melker Ellborg, Trai Hume, Wilson Isidor, Omar Alderete and Luke O’Nien among his substitutes.
City seize the early control
City imposed themselves from the opening stages, a pattern that quickly became clear at the Etihad. Fernández’s set-piece put the home side in front after a Sunderland player had brought down Ndiaye with a late sliding challenge.
The visitors had an opportunity to answer when Le Fée released Angulo one-on-one with the goalkeeper. Angulo, however, did not connect cleanly and sent his effort away from the target.
Different pressures on the afternoon
Maresca’s team arrived with a perfect Premier League record of 12 points from four matches and had kept four successive clean sheets. City also had the chance to capitalise after Arsenal dropped points at Brighton, while aiming to sign off at the Etihad before the international break with another victory.
Sunderland came into the fixture with four points from a possible 12, sitting below mid-table. Manchester United were immediately above them and Aston Villa below, although Sunderland’s immediate concern was to begin turning competitive performances into wins against the sides around them.
