Premier League: Manchester City Survives Sunderland Thriller 5-3, Goes Top as Only Unbeaten Side
AM730 · 2 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Manchester City secured a 5-3 victory over Sunderland in a thrilling match at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, extending their lead at the top of the Premier League to three points after Arsenal's shock 0-3 defeat to Brighton. Brian Brobbey scored all three of Sunderland's goals, while Enzo Fernandez, Rayan Cherki, Antoine Semenyo, and Erling Haaland found the net for City. Manager Enzo Maresca expressed his satisfaction with the win but joked that there were too many goals, saying he would have preferred a tighter 1-0 victory. City remains the only unbeaten team in the league with 15 points from five matches, while Sunderland stays in 14th place with four points .
Key Points
- Enzo Fernandez opened the scoring for City in the 9th minute with a precise free-kick from a tight angle on the right side, beating Sunderland goalkeeper Traf at the near post .
- Sunderland equalised in the 12th minute through Brian Brobbey, who completed his hat-trick by the 59th minute, scoring three of Sunderland's goals .
- Rayan Cherki restored City's lead in the 29th minute after combining with Antoine Semenyo, but Brobbey equalised again four minutes later to make it 2-2 .
- Antoine Semenyo scored twice, in the 43rd and 57th minutes, to help City take a 4-2 lead before Brobbey completed his hat-trick .
- Erling Haaland scored the final goal in the 81st minute, with the initial offside flag overturned by VAR after review .
Why It Matters
This victory extends City's advantage at the top of the table to three points over Arsenal, who suffered a humiliating 0-3 home defeat to Brighton on the same day, signaling that Maresca's side is emerging as the clear title favourite early in the season . While the emphatic win demonstrates City's attacking prowess, Maresca's comment about preferring a 1-0 win indicates the manager's focus on defensive solidity, a quality that could prove decisive in tight title races to come .
This victory extends City's advantage at the top of the table to three points over Arsenal, who suffered a humiliating 0-3 home defeat to Brighton on the same day, signaling that Maresca's side is emerging as the clear title favourite early in the season . While the emphatic win demonstrates City's attacking prowess, Maresca's comment about preferring a 1-0 win indicates the manager's focus on defensive solidity, a quality that could prove decisive in tight title races to come .