Manchester City continued their perfect start to the Premier League season with an entertaining 5-3 victory over Sunderland at the Etihad Stadium.
The match produced eight goals, plenty of attacking football, and a hat-trick from Brian Brobbey, but City still had enough quality to claim all three points after 90 minutes of action.
Manchester City made a bright start and took the lead in the 9th minute through Enzo Fernandez. The midfielder finished off a well-worked move to put the home side ahead 1-0 and give the Etihad crowd an early reason to celebrate.
However, Sunderland responded almost immediately. Just three minutes later, Brian Brobbey equalized in the 12th minute after being set up by Enzo Le Fée, making it 1-1.
The hosts regained control in the 29th minute when Rayan Cherki restored City’s lead. Antoine Semenyo provided the assist as Cherki calmly found the back of the net to make it 2-1.
The visitors refused to back down and once again Brobbey had the answer. The Dutch striker scored his second goal of the afternoon in the 33rd minute from a Thomas Meunier assist to level the score at 2-2.
The home side pushed forward before the break and finally found another breakthrough in the 43rd minute. Marc Guéhi delivered the assist and Antoine Semenyo finished well to put City 3-2 ahead heading into halftime.
The first half was packed with action as five goals were scored, with both sides showing plenty of attacking intent. It was very entertaining for the fans who came out to watch the game.
After the restart, City increased their advantage. Semenyo grabbed his second goal of the game in the 57th minute to make it 4-2 and put the home side in a stronger position.
Yet Sunderland continued to fight. Only two minutes later, Brobbey completed his hat-trick in the 59th minute after being assisted by Nilson Angulo.
His third goal reduced the deficit to 4-3 and gave them hope of completing a remarkable comeback. However, it wasn’t meant to be as the home side had other plans.
The visitors pushed hard for an equalizer, but City held firm during a tense period. A crucial defensive intervention from Ruben Dias helped protect City’s narrow lead as the away side searched for a fourth goal.
Despite the visitors efforts, the home side managed to survive the pressure and looked dangerous their counterattack. The decisive moment arrived in the 81st minute when Erling Haaland finally got on the scoresheet.
Josko Gvardiol provided the assist and Haaland finished confidently to make it 5-3 with little time left to be played between both teams on the pitch.
The goal was initially checked by VAR before being confirmed, ending Sunderland’s hopes of a comeback and securing another important victory for Enzo Maresca’s team.
The home side eventually ended the match with a 5-3 victory which puts them clear at the top of Premier League table heading into the international break.
The result keeps Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table with five wins from five matches. Arsenal lost yesterday pushed them further away from challenging for the number one spot.
Semenyo was one of City’s standout performers with two goals and an assist, while Erling Haaland added another goal to his impressive tally for the current season.
For Sunderland, Brobbey’s hat-trick was the major positive from an otherwise disappointing afternoon. But the visitors come out of the Etihad Stadium with nothing after 90 minutes of entertaining football.
