Brobbey hat-trick not enough as Man City survive Sunderland's 5-3 thriller to stay top

Manchester City survived a relentless Sunderland comeback to win 5-3 at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, but the scoreline masked a defensive display that left manager Enzo Maresca with serious questions to answer. Brian Brobbey scored a hat-trick for the visitors — the first player to achieve that feat against City in the Premier League since Jamie Vardy in 2019 — yet still finished on the losing side, a fate not suffered by a hat-trick scorer in the top flight since Roque Santa Cruz in 2007.

Maresca’s side extended their 100 per cent start to the season, but not in the manner the Italian would have chosen. “I prefer to win 1-0 than 5-3,” he said afterwards. He had also predicted Sunderland would be City’s toughest match of the campaign so far, and on the evidence of 90 breathless minutes, he was not wrong.

Sunderland refused to stay down at any point. Each time City moved ahead, the Championship side responded within minutes. The first time Sunderland trailed, they levelled after three minutes; the second time, it took four. Brobbey’s deflected shot looped on to the bar moments after City made it 4-2, before the Dutchman completed his hat-trick two minutes later to make it 4-3. Ruben Dias was forced to hook the ball off the line to prevent a 4-4 leveller, and even at 5-3, Dan Ballard struck the post. Sunderland finished with 17 shots, eight on target and an xG of 4.25.

“We probably deserved to score two or three more,” said Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris. “A defeat, but we are proud.”

The result was all the more remarkable given the context. Sunderland had not scored more than once in any game this season before kick-off, while City had arrived on the back of four consecutive clean sheets. Antoine Semenyo, who had also failed to score all season, added two goals of his own.

Erling Haaland was unusually peripheral for much of the afternoon — seven goals were scored before he got involved — but he did eventually find the net to add another entry to his long list of Premier League records. City and Arsenal, who also conceded three goals this weekend, remain level at the top of the table; the difference, for now, is that City scored five.

“We found a way to win,” said Maresca. The manner in which they did it, however, will give him plenty to address before their next fixture.