Manchester City beat Sunderland 5-3 on Sunday, extending their 100 per cent start to the season in an unusually open encounter at the Etihad. Enzo Maresca's side scored five but conceded three, and the City manager said: "I prefer to win 1-0 than 5-3."
Sunderland's Brian Brobbey scored a hat-trick, becoming the first player to get a Premier League hat-trick against City since Jamie Vardy six years ago. Not since Roque Santa Cruz in 2007 had anyone scored a Premier League hat-trick in a losing cause.
Erling Haaland was overshadowed for much of the afternoon but scored, and has now found the net against all 25 clubs he has faced in the Premier League. City's goals came from an Enzo Fernandez free kick, a Rayan Cherki strike, an Antoine Semenyo double and Haaland.
Sunderland mounted several comebacks. Ruben Dias hooked the ball off the line to prevent them levelling at 4-4, and Dan Ballard hit the post at 5-3. Sunderland had 17 shots, eight on target and an xG of 4.25. "We probably deserved to score two or three more," said manager Regis Le Bris, who added: "A defeat but we are proud."
Maresca said Sunderland would be City's toughest match of the season so far, and after the game noted: "Two of the three goals we conceded were too easy." He added: "We found a way to win."