Temi Kings
Manchester City made it five wins out of five in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon, but they were forced to endure an absolute roller-coaster before securing a 5-3 victory over a fearless Sunderland side. Enzo Maresca’s league leaders were given several major scares throughout an eight-goal feast that had the Etihad Stadium on the edge of its collective seat from the opening whistle to the final whistle.
The contest burst into life in the 9th minute when Enzo Fernández turned home City’s opener. However, Sunderland’s response was swift and emphatic. Just three minutes later, Brian Brobbey breached Gianluigi Donnarumma's defense to bring the visitors level. Rayan Cherki restored City’s advantage in the 29th minute with a neat finish, only for Brobbey to strike again in the 33rd minute, capitalizing on a rapid transition to make it 2-2. Antoine Semenyo put the hosts ahead for the third time just before the interval, slotting past Robin Roefs in the 43rd minute to hand City a 3-2 lead heading into the break.
The high-octane drama continued into the second half as Semenyo doubled his personal tally in the 57th minute with a clinical finish. Yet Sunderland refused to surrender. Brobbey completed a historic hat-trick just two minutes later, becoming the first Black Cats player to score three goals in a Premier League game since Jermain Defoe in 2016, to cut the gap to 4-3. It took a spectacular acrobatic goal-line clearance from Rúben Dias to prevent Sunderland from snatching an equalizer, before Erling Haaland finally put the match to bed in the 81st minute. Scoring his first-ever career goal against Sunderland, Haaland sealed the 5-3 scoreline and ensured City remain clear at the top of the Premier League summit.