Manchester City produced another victory in the 2026/27 Premier League campaign, but the route to three points was anything but comfortable. A remarkable Manchester City 5-3 Sunderland contest at the Etihad Stadium featured eight goals, a hat-trick from Sunderland striker Brian Brobbey and a late landmark moment for Erling Haaland.
City eventually emerged victorious, preserving their perfect start to the league season and opening a three-point advantage at the top of the table. However, Sunderland repeatedly exposed weaknesses in the home side’s defence and refused to disappear despite falling behind on several occasions.
For Haaland, the match had an additional significance.
The Norwegian finally scored against Sunderland, completing a remarkable personal collection. He has now found the net against every one of the 25 Premier League opponents he has faced since arriving in English football.
His 81st-minute goal was therefore more than the final goal of an extraordinary match. It completed a statistical landmark that illustrates the consistency and breadth of his goalscoring record.
City Make the Perfect Start
Manchester City opened the scoring after only nine minutes. Enzo Fernandez produced a clever free-kick from a tight angle, catching Sunderland goalkeeper Robin Roefs and giving the hosts an early advantage.
The goal immediately placed City in control of the scoreboard, but Sunderland’s response demonstrated that they had no intention of simply defending for long periods.
The visitors equalised only three minutes later.
Enzo Le Fee played an excellent through ball for Brian Brobbey, who finished the opportunity to make it 1-1.
The rapid response changed the atmosphere of the contest.
City had expected to establish control after taking an early lead, but Sunderland showed that their attacking players could exploit spaces behind the home defence.
The match was already beginning to develop into an open contest.
Rayan Cherki Restores City’s Lead
Manchester City regained their advantage in the 29th minute. Rayan Cherki took advantage of Sunderland’s problems while attempting to play out from the back and scored to make it 2-1.
The goal highlighted one of the dangers of facing City.
Even when opponents attempt to build possession carefully, City’s pressure can force mistakes in dangerous areas.
Cherki was able to capitalise, and City once again appeared to have regained control.
But Sunderland had another answer.
Only four minutes later, Brobbey scored again.
The Dutch striker connected with a move involving Le Fee and Thomas Meunier before finishing to bring Sunderland level at 2-2. The goal survived a VAR check for offside, allowing Sunderland to celebrate their second equaliser of the afternoon.
Brobbey Turns the Match Into a Battle
Brobbey’s performance quickly became one of the defining stories of the afternoon.
The Sunderland forward had already scored twice before half-time, and his movement caused significant problems for City’s centre-backs.
His second goal ensured that Manchester City could not settle into a comfortable rhythm.
The home side had taken the lead twice, yet Sunderland had twice recovered.
The visitors were demonstrating considerable attacking confidence at the Etihad, and their willingness to attack created an extraordinary spectacle.
The game was becoming less about controlled possession and more about which team could exploit the next opening.
Semenyo Gives City the Lead Again
With half-time approaching, Manchester City found another breakthrough.
Antoine Semenyo scored in the 43rd minute to put City 3-2 ahead.
The forward produced a powerful finish after Marc Guehi helped keep the ball alive inside the Sunderland penalty area.
It was another crucial moment because City finally entered the interval with an advantage.
But Sunderland had already demonstrated that a one-goal deficit meant very little.
The first half had produced five goals, and there was no indication that the second half would be quieter.
Instead, the drama intensified.
Semenyo Scores Again After the Break
Semenyo struck again in the 57th minute.
His second goal of the match extended City’s advantage to 4-2 and appeared to give the hosts a much-needed cushion.
For the first time, Manchester City had a two-goal lead.
The expectation was that Sunderland would now find it increasingly difficult to recover.
Instead, Brobbey had one more response.
Two minutes later, Sunderland reduced the deficit.
Brobbey Completes His Hat-Trick
In the 59th minute, Brian Brobbey completed his hat-trick.
Nilson Angulo supplied the cross, and Brobbey finished the chance to make the score 4-3.
The goal produced another dramatic shift.
Sunderland had gone from trailing by two goals to being within one.
Brobbey had scored all three of Sunderland’s goals, becoming the first Sunderland player to score a Premier League hat-trick since Jermain Defoe in 2016, according to the Premier League’s match analysis.
The visitors now had genuine belief that they could take something from the match.
Manchester City, meanwhile, had to find another level.
Haaland Finally Finds the Net
The decisive moment arrived in the 81st minute.
After watching his teammates trade goals with Sunderland throughout the match, Erling Haaland finally entered the scoresheet.
The goal gave City a 5-3 lead and effectively ended Sunderland’s hopes of another comeback.
More importantly, it completed Haaland’s Premier League scoring catalogue.
The Norwegian had now scored against every Premier League opponent he has faced.
Sky Sports reported that Haaland had previously scored against 24 of his 25 Premier League opponents, with Sunderland the only remaining team on that list. His goal at the Etihad removed that final gap.
It was an appropriate ending to a match in which City’s star striker had initially been overshadowed by the remarkable scoring exploits around him.
A Complete Premier League Catalogue
The significance of Haaland’s achievement lies in its consistency.
Since arriving in the Premier League, he has faced many different defensive systems and opponents.
Some teams have defended deep.
Others have pressed high.
Some have attempted to physically challenge him.
Others have focused on preventing service into the penalty area.
Yet Haaland has now found a way to score against all 25 Premier League opponents he has encountered.
That statistic does not simply reflect the number of goals he has scored. It also demonstrates how consistently he has performed against different opposition.
Sunderland had previously been the missing entry.
That changed at the Etihad.
The Goal Was About More Than Statistics
Individual milestones can sometimes feel detached from the match itself.
This one did not.
Haaland’s goal came at a critical stage when Sunderland were still within one goal of City.
At 4-3, the visitors were threatening to produce one of the biggest surprises of the weekend.
Haaland’s finish provided City with breathing room.
The goal therefore served two purposes.
It completed his personal scoring collection while also helping Manchester City secure the result.
That combination made the moment particularly significant.
Manchester City Maintain Their Perfect Start
The victory preserved City’s 100 per cent start to the 2026/27 Premier League campaign.
The result was particularly important because Arsenal had suffered a 3-0 defeat against Brighton the previous day.
City took advantage of that result to establish a three-point lead at the top of the table.
The perfect record gives Enzo Maresca’s team an impressive early foundation.
However, the Sunderland match also exposed areas that require attention.
City conceded three goals and allowed Sunderland to generate significant attacking opportunities.
According to Premier League analysis, Sunderland actually recorded a higher expected-goals figure than City, with 4.32 xG compared with City’s 2.72.
That statistic provides important context.
City won 5-3, but the margin does not fully describe how competitive the match was.
Defensive Concerns Remain
For all of City’s attacking quality, the defensive performance was far from perfect.
Sunderland repeatedly found ways to create dangerous situations.
Brobbey’s hat-trick was particularly revealing.
The striker bullied City centre-back Ruben Dias at times and repeatedly found spaces that allowed him to attack the penalty area.
City’s defensive mistakes meant Sunderland remained competitive throughout the match.
The hosts also failed to record a third successive clean sheet.
For a side with ambitions of competing for major honours, that is an area that will need attention.
The attacking statistics may dominate the headlines, but defensive consistency often determines whether a strong start can be maintained across an entire season.
Antoine Semenyo Makes a Major Contribution
While Haaland received much of the attention because of his landmark goal, Antoine Semenyo deserves significant recognition for his contribution.
The forward scored twice, including a superb first-half strike and another goal early in the second period.
His goals were essential to City’s victory.
Without Semenyo’s finishing, Sunderland may have taken advantage of City’s defensive difficulties.
His performance also illustrates the increasing depth of City’s attacking options.
Opponents cannot concentrate exclusively on Haaland.
If they devote too many defenders to stopping the Norwegian, other City attackers can exploit the additional space.
That tactical problem remains one of the biggest challenges for teams facing Manchester City.
Sunderland Show Extraordinary Character
Despite losing, Sunderland can take considerable encouragement from the performance.
They scored three times at the Etihad against a team that began the weekend with a perfect record.
Brobbey’s hat-trick was the obvious highlight, but the team’s overall attacking approach was also impressive.
They repeatedly responded to City taking the lead.
At 1-0, Sunderland equalised.
At 2-1, they equalised again.
At 4-2, Brobbey scored once more to make it 4-3.
That resilience ensured the match remained uncertain deep into the second half.
Ultimately, Haaland’s goal ended their comeback attempt.
But the performance demonstrated that Sunderland can pose a serious attacking threat.
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