Man City 5-3 Sunderland: Brobbey Hat-Trick But Haaland Ends Drought in Thriller

Manchester City moved clear at the top of the Premier League by beating Sunderland 5-3 at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday. Brian Brobbey scored a hat-trick for the visitors but ended up on the losing side, while Erling Haaland ended an unwanted statistic with a late goal.

  • Competition: Premier League
  • Venue: Etihad Stadium
  • Score: Manchester City 5-3 Sunderland
  • Man City scorers: Enzo Fernandez (free-kick), Rayan Cherki, Antoine Semenyo (2), Erling Haaland
  • Sunderland scorers: Brian Brobbey (3)
  • Key stat: Erling Haaland ended his run of never scoring against Sunderland in the Premier League.

Confirmed line-ups

Manchester City (4-1-4-1)

Starting XI: Gianluigi Donnarumma; Matheus Nunes, Ruben Dias, Marc Guehi, Josko Gvardiol; Elliot Anderson; Rayan Cherki, Enzo Fernandez, Iliman Ndiaye, Antoine Semenyo; Erling Haaland.

Substitutes: Jeremy Doku, Nico O'Reilly, Rulli, Kovacic, Ait-Nouri, Bouaddi, Allan, Khusanov, Lewis.

Sunderland (4-2-3-1)

Starting XI: Robin Roefs; Nordi Mukiele, Kevin Danso, Dan Ballard, Dayann Methalie; Granit Xhaka, Noah Sadiki; Thomas Meunier, Enzo le Fee, Nilson Angulo; Brian Brobbey.

Substitutes: Malick Fofana, Wilson Isidor, Trai Hume, Elborg, Talbi, Ridd, O'Nien, Alderete, Ahoka.

Selection notes

Manchester City were without suspended Phil Foden, so Iliman Ndiaye started in his place. Ndiaye was lively throughout and was unlucky not to get an assist after laying a ball on to Erling Haaland with the goal gaping. Jeremy Doku returned from a calf injury to make his first league minutes of the season, replacing Ndiaye on 74 minutes. Nico O'Reilly came on for Rayan Cherki on 85 minutes and should have scored a second.

Sunderland handed a Premier League debut to Dayann Methalie, who was booked inside 10 minutes and given a difficult game by Ndiaye. Granit Xhaka captained the side. Malick Fofana replaced Nilson Angulo on 60 minutes, Wilson Isidor came on for Noah Sadiki on 68 as Regis Le Bris went for it with two up top, and Trai Hume replaced Thomas Meunier on 79 minutes.

The numbers

  • 5: Goals scored by Manchester City.
  • 3: Goals scored by Sunderland.
  • 3: Goals scored by Brian Brobbey for Sunderland.
  • 2: Goals scored by Antoine Semenyo for Manchester City.
  • 1: Goal scored by Erling Haaland, his first Premier League goal against Sunderland.
  • 1: Goal scored by Enzo Fernandez, his first for Manchester City, from a free-kick.
  • 1: Goal scored by Rayan Cherki.
  • 10: Brobbey's player rating, the highest on the pitch.
  • 6: Kevin Danso's rating, with a poor clearance contributing to City's goal.

Analysis: City's midfield dominance and Sunderland's defensive lapses

Manchester City's midfield trio of Elliot Anderson, Enzo Fernandez and Rayan Cherki dictated the tempo, with Anderson making more passes than any other player on the pitch. Fernandez curled in a delightful free-kick for his first City goal and saw plenty of the ball in the pockets outside the box, becoming a fans' favourite with the "Enzo, Enzo" chant. Cherki was near his best with delightful touches, quick feet and trickery that helped create City's opener, and he stayed cool to stroke home City's second goal in the first half. Antoine Semenyo was back in form, twice thumping home for his first goals of the season and keeping the ball alive to poke through a pass for Cherki's goal.

Sunderland's defence struggled to contain City's fluid attack. Robin Roefs will be disappointed for the first goal, beaten at his near post after trying to anticipate Fernandez sending in a cross. Nordi Mukiele had a tough game up against Semenyo, who scored twice. Kevin Danso's poor clearance contributed to City winning the ball back high up the pitch for Cherki's goal. Dan Ballard was part of a backline that conceded three goals in the opening 45 minutes, and Dayann Methalie was booked inside 10 minutes of his Premier League debut and given a difficult game by Ndiaye.

Going forward, Sunderland were dangerous. Enzo le Fee fizzed a lovely ball into the feet of Brobbey for Sunderland's equaliser and his cleverly disguised pass led to his side's second. Thomas Meunier could have had a shot for the second goal but instead laid it on a plate for Brobbey to finish. Nilson Angulo could have made a name for himself but scuffed a golden chance wide in the opening five minutes, though he provided the assist for Brobbey's third goal. Brobbey's three finishes from close range earned him a perfect 10 rating, but he will be gutted at leaving with the match ball but no points.

City's defence had its own issues. Gianluigi Donnarumma could do little about any of Sunderland's goals but was all over the place when coming out for high balls into the box. Matheus Nunes was napping when a ball came over the top, allowing Angulo to sneak in behind and lay a pass off for Brobbey to finish. Ruben Dias was caught flat-footed for Brobbey's opening goal and beaten to the ball in the middle of the park on another occasion, though he made a remarkable goalline clearance to prevent an own goal. Marc Guehi will have an assist alongside his name but had an otherwise uncomfortable afternoon, while Josko Gvardiol failed to close down Enzo le Fee for Sunderland's second goal but provided the cross for Haaland's goal.

Talking points

  • Erling Haaland's late goal ended his run of never scoring against Sunderland in the Premier League, but his overall performance was below par with an easy first-half miss.
  • Brian Brobbey's hat-trick in a losing cause raises questions about Sunderland's defensive resilience despite their attacking threat.
  • Manchester City's defence looked vulnerable against direct balls, with Donnarumma, Nunes and Dias all culpable for Sunderland's goals.
  • Enzo Fernandez's free-kick and all-action display suggest he is becoming a key creative force for City in Phil Foden's absence.

What happens next

Manchester City go clear at the top of the Premier League and will look to build on this win in their next fixture. Sunderland, despite the defeat, showed attacking promise and will need to tighten up defensively. The player ratings for this match will close 30 minutes after the final whistle on BBC Sport, where users can rate the players out of 10.

Frequently asked questions

What was the score between Man City and Sunderland?

Manchester City beat Sunderland 5-3 at the Etihad Stadium in the Premier League.

Did Brian Brobbey score a hat-trick?

Yes, Brian Brobbey scored a hat-trick for Sunderland but ended up on the losing side.

Did Erling Haaland score against Sunderland?

Yes, Erling Haaland scored a late goal, ending his run of never having scored against Sunderland in the Premier League.

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