Manchester City will go into the international break alone at the top of the Premier League, but Sunderland made them work for every inch of a breathless 5-3 win at the Etihad. Enzo Maresca’s side extended their unbeaten start on an afternoon when Arsenal’s defeat at the Amex changed the shape of the table, yet Brian Brobbey’s hat-trick ensured there was no comfortable procession.
Why it landed this week
- Manchester City moved clear at the summit after beating Sunderland 5-3.
- Sunderland again showed the edge that had troubled Arsenal the previous weekend.
- Arsenal’s loss at the Amex left City as sole league leaders before the break.
- Brian Brobbey struck three times for Sunderland, while Enzo Fernández opened his City account.
- Phil Foden’s suspension forced Maresca into a selection decision after his sending-off in the derby.
Maresca had rotated heavily for the 5-0 Carabao Cup win against Norwich, then had to find a replacement for the banned Foden. Iliman Ndiaye, lively when introduced against Manchester United, was chosen in the starting side.
With two natural wide players in the team, City’s full-backs were asked to work differently. Matheus Nunes had less licence to surge down the right, while Josko Gvardiol was able to step into midfield alongside Elliot Anderson and leave Enzo Fernández operating higher up the pitch.
Sunderland arrived with a clear plan: stay compact without the ball, then break at pace when City left space. They had already made Arsenal uncomfortable, and for long spells they did the same to the leaders.
City’s breakthrough came after 10 minutes, when Enzo Fernández caught Robin Roefs out from a free-kick on the right. Sunderland’s goalkeeper anticipated a delivery into the area, but the former Chelsea midfielder sent the ball directly in for his first City goal.
The visitors did not fold. Enzo Le Fée found room between the lines, drove through the centre and slipped Brian Brobbey in to finish past Gianluigi Donnarumma. The Dutch forward, fresh from an impressive display against Arsenal and a standout at the World Cup, had his first goal of the campaign.
City regained the advantage before the half-hour when Kevin Danso made an uncharacteristic mistake while attempting to play out from the back. Rayan Cherki took the chance and finished beyond Roefs. Again Sunderland answered quickly. Le Fée created the opening once more and Brobbey was on hand for a simple second.
There was no shortage of space at either end. Cherki’s cross caused confusion between Danso and Dan Ballard, allowing Antoine Semenyo to put City ahead for a third time. Erling Haaland then passed up a clear opportunity to add another, and Sunderland nearly reached the interval level when Donnarumma diverted a Brobbey effort on to the crossbar in stoppage time.
Le Fée threatened to make another decisive contribution early in the second half, but City instead widened the gap. Mukiele and Danso failed to deal with Cherki’s pass into space for Semenyo, who drove a left-footed finish across Roefs.
Still Sunderland refused to accept the usual script. Granit Xhaka’s excellent ball towards Nilson Angulo set the move moving, and Brobbey completed his hat-trick to make it 4-3.
That left City with an awkward choice: slow the contest down or keep attacking in search of daylight. Their uncertainty almost proved costly with more than 20 minutes remaining. Donnarumma came off his line without conviction and Rúben Dias had to clear from virtually on the goal line.
City never looked entirely settled, but Haaland finally settled the points in the closing stages, collecting a Gvardiol delivery and scoring the fifth. Sunderland had brought trouble to the Etihad; City, eventually, had found a way past it.
