Manchester City have opened a three-point lead at the top of the Premier League table after defeating Sunderland 5-3 in an eight-goal thriller at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
The victory maintained City’s perfect start to the league season, with Enzo Maresca’s side taking 15 points from their opening five matches. Arsenal, the defending champions, remain second on 12 points after suffering a 3-0 defeat away to Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday.
City took the lead in the ninth minute when Enzo Fernandez curled a free-kick into the net for his first goal since joining the club. Sunderland quickly responded through Brian Brobbey, who scored twice in the first half as the visitors repeatedly cancelled out City’s advantage.
Rayan Cherki restored City’s lead before Antoine Semenyo struck just before half-time. The Ghanaian forward added another goal early in the second half to put City 4-2 ahead.
Sunderland refused to surrender, with Brobbey completing his hat-trick in the 59th minute to reduce the deficit to one goal. However, Erling Haaland settled the contest in the 81st minute, finishing from Josko Gvardiol’s cross after a VAR review confirmed the goal.
The result also saw Haaland complete a notable Premier League scoring record, as Sunderland became the 25th club he has faced in the competition against whom he has scored. His strike took his league tally to seven goals this season.
Despite the victory, Maresca acknowledged the defensive issues exposed during the match. “I would prefer to win 1-0 than 5-3,” the City manager said, while noting that Sunderland presented a difficult challenge.
The result is significant in the early Premier League title race, with City now the only team maintaining a 100 per cent record after five league matches. Arsenal’s defeat allowed City to create an immediate three-point cushion before the international break.
Manchester City will return to Premier League action against Liverpool at Anfield on October 11, while Arsenal will look to recover when domestic football resumes.
