Manchester City 5-3 Sunderland: City survive Brobbey hat-trick to go top

The Etihad Stadium delivered a true display of attacking football. Manchester City and Sunderland played out a breathless contest that ended in a 5-3 home win, full of momentum swings, pace and eight goals. Brian Brobbey took the match ball home after scoring three, but it was not enough to save his side. The victory, combined with Arsenal's slip at Brighton, leaves the reigning runners-up alone at the top of the Premier League.

• Manchester City beat Sunderland 5-3 in a game with eight goals and constant lead changes.
• Brobbey scored a hat-trick for Sunderland but still ended up on the losing side.
• Semenyo netted his first double in a Manchester City shirt.
• Enzo opened his Premier League account for City and Haaland scored against the last remaining opponent.
• Arsenal's defeat at Brighton leaves City clear at the top of the table.

Enzo opens the scoring in a wild first half

With Foden suspended after his red card at Old Trafford, Maresca made changes and brought in Ndiaye, keeping the rest of the side that won the Manchester derby. For Sunderland, Méthalie made his debut in place of Reinildo, who was banned following a red card against Arsenal. It was a foul by the debutant on Ndiaye in the ninth minute that led to the opening goal. Enzo, from a tight angle, caught Roefs out at the near post and opened his account for the club.

The goal punished a Sunderland side that had started better, but the visitors hit back almost instantly. Three minutes later, Le Fée slipped a superb pass behind Rúben Dias and Brobbey, who had not scored until this Sunday, produced an even better outside-of-the-foot finish to level.

Brobbey's treble keeps Sunderland in the fight

City regained the lead around the half-hour mark. Cherki fired a right-footed shot across goal to finish off a scrappy move that started with a Danso mistake in possession. But the pattern repeated almost immediately and, to Maresca's frustration, Sunderland equalised again. Brobbey was in the right place to tap into an empty net from Meunier's cutback, with Le Fée once again providing the class in the build-up.

The Frenchman's quality and Brobbey's finishing contrasted sharply with Sunderland's shaky back line, which was breached for a third time just before the break. Semenyo pounced on a Ballard rebound inside the box and made it 3-2. In first-half stoppage time, Haaland somehow missed with the goal gaping in front of 55,000 stunned fans, while a long-range Brobbey effort deflected off Guéhi and rattled Donnarumma's crossbar.

Semenyo steps up with his first City brace

The second half picked up where the first left off. Just over 10 minutes after the restart, a mix-up between Mukiele and Danso left Semenyo clean through, and the forward made no mistake. It was his second of the afternoon, his first double as a Manchester City player, and finally gave the hosts a two-goal cushion.

Sunderland's response came just two minutes later. Nilson Angulo latched onto Xhaka's pass behind Matheus Nunes and laid the ball on a plate for Brobbey, who completed his hat-trick with another composed finish. The visitors even flirted with an equaliser after Donnarumma rushed out poorly, but Rúben Dias cleared almost off the line.

Haaland seals the win and hits a unique landmark

From a potential 4-4, the scoreline became the final 5-3. The man to close it out was Erling Haaland, whose goal carried a neat stat: he has now scored against all 25 opponents he has faced in the Premier League. The Norwegian's strike wrapped up a vital win for City, who sit top of the table going into the next round.

What this result means for the Premier League title race

The win takes on extra significance because of results elsewhere. Arsenal lost 3-0 at Brighton, which allows Manchester City to move alone into first place. The title race is far from over, but Maresca's side now leads the standings and continues to show remarkable firepower, even if there are defensive concerns to address.

Sunderland, for their part, leave empty-handed despite producing a brave and open display. Brobbey's hat-trick and Le Fée's craft were not enough to take anything from a ground where mistakes are punished ruthlessly. The visitors will need to find more balance if they want to climb away from danger.

Frequently asked questions about Manchester City vs Sunderland