Man City's Perfect Start Survives Brian Brobbey Hat-Trick but Defensive Cracks Show

Manchester City survived a scare to preserve their perfect Premier League start with a 5-3 win over Sunderland at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, as Brian Brobbey hit a hat-trick for the visitors in a match that exposed clear defensive concerns for Enzo Maresca's side.

The result moved Maresca's team to 15 points and three points clear at the top before the international break. However, Sunderland registered nine shots on target to City's six and repeatedly threatened a comeback.

Brobbey Punishes City's Defensive Gaps

Enzo Fernández opened the scoring in the ninth minute with a free-kick after Iliman Ndiaye was fouled just outside the box. Sunderland levelled three minutes later when Brobbey collected Enzo Le Fée's pass and beat Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Rayan Cherki restored City's lead in the 29th minute after Ndiaye forced a turnover. Antoine Semenyo then found Cherki, who finished low through a crowded penalty area. Brobbey responded again four minutes later. He converted Thomas Meunier's delivery, with a VAR check confirming the Sunderland striker was onside.

Semenyo put City ahead for a third time in the 43rd minute. He struck again in the 57th after Sunderland failed to clear, giving the hosts their first two-goal cushion of the afternoon. That advantage lasted only two minutes.

Nilson Angulo ran onto Granit Xhaka's pass and sent the ball across the face of goal. Brobbey applied the final touch to complete his hat-trick.

Sunderland kept pushing after making it 4-3. Rúben Dias had to clear off his own line after a defensive scramble, while Dan Ballard hit the post late in the match. Erling Haaland finally settled the contest in the 81st minute. He converted Joško Gvardiol's cross after VAR overturned the initial offside decision.

Maresca Wants More Control After Eight-Goal Contest

City's victory extended their winning run to seven matches in all competitions. They are also the only Premier League side with a 100 per cent record after five rounds. Maresca became only the sixth manager to win his first five Premier League matches in charge of a new club. He still raised concerns about the goals his side conceded.

The City manager said two of Sunderland's three goals had been 'too easy'. He also said his team needed to control matches better when opponents disrupted their rhythm.

The statistics supported those concerns. Sunderland had 17 shots to City's 16 and produced three more efforts on target. They had scored only three league goals across their opening four matches.

City had conceded just twice across their first four league games. They had also kept four consecutive clean sheets in all competitions before Sunderland scored three times at the Etihad.

Brobbey became Sunderland's first Premier League hat-trick scorer since 2016. He was also the first player to score three in a Premier League defeat since Roque Santa Cruz did so for Blackburn in 2007.

The Dutch striker twice cancelled out City leads before completing his treble in the second half. His goals kept Sunderland within one until Haaland's late finish removed the immediate threat of another equaliser.

City's Attack Keeps Perfect Record Intact

City's attacking depth proved decisive despite the pressure at the other end. Semenyo scored twice. Fernández and Cherki also found the net before Haaland added the fifth.

Fernández's free-kick was his first goal for City since his summer move from Chelsea. Haaland's strike also meant he has now scored against all 25 Premier League opponents he has faced.

Maresca now has the international break to review a match that delivered three points but exposed defensive problems. City return to Premier League action at Liverpool on 11 October.

Three days later, they host Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League. Those fixtures will test whether City can maintain their domestic momentum while becoming more secure without the ball.