Manchester City secured a 5-3 victory over Sunderland on Sunday at the Etihad Stadium, moving to the top of the Premier League with a perfect start to the season under new manager Enzo Maresca. The win marked City’s fifth consecutive league victory and placed them three points ahead of defending champions Arsenal ahead of the international break.
Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernández, signed from Chelsea for a club-record £125 million on transfer deadline day, opened the scoring with a well-placed free kick in the ninth minute—his first goal for City. Sunderland responded quickly as striker Brian Brobbey equalized in the 12th minute, beginning an impressive individual display. Brobbey went on to complete a hat trick, scoring twice more in the first half and once early in the second, constantly exposing City’s defensive vulnerabilities.
City regained the lead through goals by Rayan Cherki in the 29th minute and Antoine Semenyo, who netted twice—once before halftime and again in the 57th minute. However, Sunderland’s persistence kept the visitors close, with Brobbey’s second-half goal narrowing the margin to one and keeping the contest highly competitive.
Erling Haaland secured the result for Manchester City with a late goal in the 81st minute, finishing off a cross from substitute Jérémy Doku to ensure the hosts maintained their perfect record. Haaland has now scored seven goals in his last five league outings, continuing his strong form this season.
Despite the victory, Maresca expressed concerns over his team’s defensive performance. City twice surrendered the lead before halftime and allowed Sunderland multiple clear chances throughout the match. Maresca noted that two of the three conceded goals were “too easy” and emphasized the need for defensive improvements ahead of challenging fixtures against Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain later this month.
Sunderland’s attacking threat, led by Brobbey’s pace and intelligent movement, frequently troubled City’s defense, with captain Rúben Dias notably struggling to contain the Dutch forward. Dias narrowly avoided an own goal late in the match, clearing a loose ball off the line after a mistake by goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
The high-scoring, end-to-end encounter was described as an entertaining spectacle, showcasing City’s offensive prowess but also highlighting lingering defensive issues under Maresca’s regime. The result continued City’s strong start to the campaign but left the new manager with clear areas to address during the upcoming international break.
Elsewhere on Sunday, Manchester United managed a 1-1 draw against Fulham at Craven Cottage, avoiding three consecutive defeats in all competitions. Matheus Cunha’s late deflected shot earned the point for United, whose coach Michael Carrick acknowledged the need for improvement despite taking positives from the performance. Liverpool recorded a 1-0 win over Bournemouth, thanks to Alexander Isak’s goal, while Leeds maintained their unbeaten start with a goalless draw against Crystal Palace.