City win eight-goal thriller to move clear at the top of the Premier League

Man of the match Enzo Fernández with his first City goal and Rayan Cherki twice put us in front in the opening half-hour but Brian Brobbey equalised almost instantly both times.

Antoine Semenyo then struck either side of half-time to put us two goals clear before Brobbey completed his hat-trick to keep the Black Cats in the game.

But with six minutes remaining Erling Haaland turned in a cross from Joško Gvardiol with the goal standing after a VAR intervention.

It means City are the only Premier League side with a perfect record going into the international break with Enzo Maresca becoming just the sixth manager to win his first five Premier League games in charge of a new Club – a list that includes predecessor Pep Guardiola.

The game in brief

Maresca predicted the toughest game of the Premier League season so far and he was proved correct against a dogged Sunderland side that proved difficult to kill off.

The visitors tried to start quickly with Nilson Angulo scuffing a great early opening but it was a Black Cats’ corner that led to City’s opener.

Breaking quickly to the other end, Iliman Ndiaye was stopped by a robust Dayann Methalie tackle that earned a yellow card and with a defensive line expecting a free-kick into the box, Fernández whipped in a near post shot from a tight angle that caught out goalkeeper Robin Roefs.

Our lead lasted only three minutes before Enzo Le Fee’s pass split City’s defence for Brobbey to lift the ball over a diving Gianluigi Donnarumma.

A high-tempo game saw both teams trying to create chances and our energetic press saw Ndiaye force a turnover in the final third of the pitch before Semenyo poked the ball to Cherki who took a second to compose himself and fired low through a crowded box into the bottom corner.

Again the lead didn’t last long though with Brobbey sweeping in Thomas Meunier’s cross and the goal standing after a protracted VAR check confirming he was just onside.

There was still time for another goal before half-time when Marc Guéhi won a ball at the back post and the ball ran to Semenyo to lash home an unstoppable strike.

And there could have been even more with Erling Haaland rolling a shot just off-target while a deflected Brobbey shot was tipped over by Donnarumma.

A relatively quiet start after the break didn’t last long before Semenyo pounced on poor defending to smash home a fourth for the Blues.

But Brobbey completed his hat-trick two minutes later when he turned in Angulo’s header from close range to bring them back to within a goal again.

Rúben Dias headed inches wide from a corner before spectacularly clearing off the line at the other end from his own heavy touch.

Jérémy Doku came on as a substitute for his first minutes since the Community Shield and City’s fifth came from the left hand side with Haaland sliding home Gvardiol’s cross with the offside decision correctly overturned.

Fellow substitute Nico O’Reilly was denied a sixth by Roefs while Dan Ballard hit the post late on, on an extraordinarily entertaining afternoon. 

TEAMS

CITY: Donnarumma, Nunes, Dias (C), Guéhi, Gvardiol, Anderson, Fernández, Ndiaye, Cherki (O’Reilly 85), Semenyo (Doku 75), Haaland.

Subs not used: Rulli, Kovačić, Aït-Nouri, Bouaddi, Allan, Khusanov, Lewis.

SUNDERLAND: Roefs, Meunier (Hume 79), Mukiele, Ballard, Danso, Methalie, Xhaka (C), Sadiki (Isidor 68), Le Fee, Angulo (Fofana 60), Brobbey.

Subs not used: Ellborg, O’Nien, Alderete, Talbi, Ahoka, Rigg.

Attendance: 60,312

UNSTOPPABLE!

Two things you can be almost certain of: Erling Haaland is probably onside and that he’ll get you in the end. 

The City striker has now scored against all 25 sides he has faced in the Premier League after breaking his duck Sunderland who denied him twice last season. 

It took until the 81st minute for him to get his goal, steering home the eighth goal of the game, although the offside flag went up instantly. 

Haaland had the same quizzical look that he had during the VAR check for his winner against Manchester United seven days earlier.

He knew he was the right side of the line and replays showed that Gvardiol was comfortably onside too.

After frustration at missing a good opportunity in the first half, there was an inevitability that he wouldn’t miss a second as he took his tally to seven goals in seven appearances this season.  

STAR MAN

Fernández has had a big impact since his arrival in the summer and he’ll be delighted to get his first goal today. 

His new-look pairing with Elliot Anderson in the centre of midfield is a burgeoning partnership that the rest of the Premier League will be starting to take note of. 

Sunderland were a battering ram of an opponent, but the Argentinian had the heart and finesse to take charge of the centre of the pitch. 

		Team	P	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Form
1		Manchester City Man City	5	5	0	0	13	5	8	15
2		Arsenal Arsenal	5	4	0	1	8	4	4	12
3		Brighton and Hove Albion Brighton	5	3	1	1	16	5	11	10

MANAGER REACTION

“To be honest, I would prefer to win 1-0 than 5-3 but I expected a very difficult game. I know how good they are.

“Off the ball, they are very aggressive, on the ball they have different weapons - Brobbey is an example [of that].

“We found a way to win the game. These seven official games have all been different. We have a chance to learn from every game.”

SEMENYO REACTION

“If you’re winning at the end, you definitely enjoy it, if you lose, not so much.

“It was a tough battle today. We knew it would be hard. They’re a very good team and they made it difficult for us in so many periods of the game.

“We held on together as a team and we got the three points.

“It’s been good so far. We don’t want to get too complacent. International break now so everyone will recharge and go to their games. We will come back from the international break and go again.”

What it means

City move three points clear at the top of the Premier League and are the only side with a 100% record from the first five matches of the season. 

What’S NEXT

Much of the squad now head out on international duty with their countries for a slightly extended brief. 

City return to Premier League action on Sunday 11 October when we travel to Anfield for a 16:30 (UK) kick-off.

Our next game at the Etihad Stadium is three days when we host holders Paris St-Germain in the Champions League on Wednesday 14 October at 20:00 (UK).