Man City win eight-goal thriller against Sunderland despite Brobbey hat-trick

[p]After Arsenal’s defeat on Saturday, the incentive was there for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/manchester-city/Wtn9Stg0/"]Manchester City[/a] to steal an early march in the title race, and they took full advantage of that inside the first 10 minutes.[/p][p][b]A moment of invention from Enzo Fernández proved to be all City needed to nose in front, as his free-kick from an acute angle caught [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sunderland/WSzc94ws/"]Sunderland[/a] goalkeeper Robin Roefs off guard at his near post and snuck in.[/b][/p][p][b]The visitors were undeterred by their early blow and hit straight back through [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/brobbey-brian/pfAvgQUT/"]Brian Brobbey[/a], who was freed in behind by an inch-perfect Enzo Le Fée pass and made no mistake in prodding an equaliser into the corner.[/b][/p][image alt="Goalscorers" id="89af1e3e-3134-40ab-b1a6-fa084202d131" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="82788be2-301c-488c-bd90-2f0c55746f16" original-width="2160" original-height="2700" /][p][b]Not deterred, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/maresca-enzo/nJsvYDRG/"]Enzo Maresca[/a]’s men reestablished their lead midway through the first half after some loose Sunderland play in their own defensive third culminated in Rayan Cherki working a yard inside the area and firing an effort low into the bottom of the corner.[/b][/p][p][b]But once again, City were unable to keep the Black Cats at bay for long, as stand-in winger Thomas Meunier ghosted in behind the Cityzens defence and retained his composure to square for Brobbey to tap his second goal of the day into an empty net. [/b][/p][p][b]True to form, the game swung back in City's favour before half-time, as after a bout of penalty box pinball, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/semenyo-antoine/r1Gz1yPk/"]Antoine Semenyo[/a] reacted quickest to hammer the hosts back in front, and they would’ve taken a two-goal lead into the break had [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/haaland-erling/UmV9iQmE/"]Erling Haaland[/a] not missed an open goal after Iliman Ndiaye left Roefs on the floor with some dazzling footwork.[/b][/p][image alt="Match momentum" id="9d3693a4-ad67-429f-a90f-0e6fbc509e47" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="8867e12f-14ad-46a9-9315-aecd943fb541" original-width="2160" original-height="2700" /][p][b]Sunderland weren’t to be let off the hook twice and did find themselves two behind soon after the restart when Semenyo arrowed an effort into the far corner.[/b][/p][p][b]But the Black Cats simply wouldn’t lie down and hit back instantly when Brobbey tapped home to complete his hat-trick – the first Sunderland player to get one in the PL since Jermain Defoe in 2016.[/b][/p][p]He would also eventually become only the fifth different player to lose after scoring a PL hat-trick, but it wasn’t for Sunderland’s want of trying, and with City always looking defensively suspect, a Gianluigi Donnarumma error was so nearly punished when he was beaten in the air by Dan Ballard, whose header was cleared off the line by Rúben Dias.[/p][p][b]Maresca’s men made life a little easier for themselves in the final 10 minutes when Haaland added a fifth against the only side he’d never scored against in the PL prior to today.[/b][/p][image alt="Match stats" id="c1a0db22-c6e0-47d6-a5b7-7e7c0480ff65" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="45be8406-2253-4700-89e7-b68e1e24be1e" original-width="2160" original-height="2700" /][p]Victory for City moves them three points clear at the PL summit going into the three-week international break, while defeat for Sunderland was a bit of a reality check after Wednesday’s Europa League victory over AZ Alkmaar. [/p][p][b]Flashscore Man of the Match: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/brobbey-brian/pfAvgQUT/"]Brian Brobbey[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sunderland/WSzc94ws/"]Sunderland[/a])[/b][/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/manchester-city-Wtn9Stg0/sunderland-WSzc94ws/?mid=fZCq6HE7"]Click here to see all the match stats on Flashscore[/a].[/b][/p]