Manchester City moved clear at the top of the Premier League by winning a 5-3 thriller against Sunderland at the Etihad Stadium, a match that produced a hat-trick for the visiting centre-forward and a notable milestone for the champions’ own striker.
Brian Brobbey was the game’s outstanding individual, scoring three times from close range. They were his first goals of the season for Sunderland, and the Dutchman left with the match ball but no points: his hat-trick came on the losing side.
The other headline belonged to Erling Haaland. Sunderland had been the only Premier League team the Norwegian had not scored against, and that looked likely to remain the case when he missed an easy opportunity in the first half. He ended the run with a finish late on. Around him, Antoine Semenyo was back in form with two goals — his first of the season — while Rayan Cherki, near his best with some delightful touches, helped create City’s opener with quick feet and trickery and then stayed cool to stroke home the second before half-time. Enzo Fernandez curled in a delightful free-kick for his first City goal, operating in the pockets outside the box and drawing the “Enzo, Enzo” chant from the home support.
Sunderland made a genuine fight of it. Granit Xhaka, the visiting captain, helped his side get back on level terms twice, and Enzo le Fee was at the heart of both recoveries: he fizzed a lovely ball into Brobbey’s feet for the equaliser and his cleverly disguised pass led to Sunderland’s second. Thomas Meunier could have shot for that second goal himself but instead laid it on a plate for Brobbey to finish, and Nilson Angulo — who had earlier scuffed a golden chance wide inside the opening five minutes — provided the assist for Brobbey’s third. The visitors conceded three goals in the opening 45 minutes, though, and ultimately went home with nothing.
There were difficult afternoons across both defences. Robin Roefs will be disappointed with the first goal, having tried to anticipate Fernandez sending in a cross and instead being beaten at his near post. Kevin Danso’s poor clearance contributed to City winning the ball back high up the pitch for Cherki’s goal, Nordi Mukiele had a tough game against the two-goal Semenyo, and Dayann Methalie was booked inside 10 minutes of his Premier League debut before being given a difficult time by Iliman Ndiaye. For City, Ruben Dias was caught flat-footed for Brobbey’s opening goal and beaten to the ball in the middle of the park on another occasion, though he also made a remarkable goalline clearance to prevent an own goal. Matheus Nunes was napping when a ball came over the top, allowing Angulo to sneak in behind and lay a pass off for Brobbey to finish, and Gianluigi Donnarumma, who could do little about any of Sunderland’s goals, was all over the place when coming out for high balls into the box.
City’s selection also carried a few points of interest. Iliman Ndiaye started in place of the suspended Phil Foden and was lively throughout, going close to an assist after laying a ball on to Haaland with the goal gaping. Elliot Anderson, the former Newcastle man, was jeered throughout by the travelling Sunderland fans but made more passes than any other player on the pitch, and Marc Guehi will have an assist alongside his name from an otherwise uncomfortable afternoon. Jeremy Doku returned from a calf injury for his first league minutes of the season when he came on for Ndiaye on 74 minutes, while Nico O’Reilly replaced Cherki on 85 and should have scored after coming on. Sunderland’s changes saw Malick Fofana, Wilson Isidor and Trai Hume introduced, with Regis Le Bris going for it with two up top after Isidor’s arrival, though the Haitian could not find a goal.
In the player ratings, Brobbey’s hat-trick earned him the only mark of 10. Semenyo was next best on 9, with Cherki and Le Fee both rated 8, and Meunier and Enzo Fernandez on 7. Roefs, beaten at his near post for City’s first, was given the lowest score of the afternoon, a 4.