'Prefer to win 1-0': Maresca reflects on 'very difficult' eight-goal humdinger

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/manchester-city/Wtn9Stg0/"]City[/a] opened up a three-point lead at the top of the Premier League by extending their perfect start to five games despite conceding a hat-trick to Dutch striker [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/brobbey-brian/pfAvgQUT/"]Brian Brobbey[/a].[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/semenyo-antoine/r1Gz1yPk/"]Antoine Semenyo[/a] struck twice, while [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/fernandez-enzo/nZnbEVWP/"]Enzo Fernandez[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cherki-mathis/vm0eu2V3/"]Rayan Cherki[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/haaland-erling/UmV9iQmE/"]Erling Haaland[/a] were also on target as City's offensive [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/arsenal/hA1Zm19f/"]arsenal[/a] made amends for an afternoon to forget defensively.[/p][p][b]"To be honest, I prefer to win 1-0 than 5-3, but I expected a very difficult game,"[/b] said [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/maresca-enzo/nJsvYDRG/"]Maresca[/a].[/p][p][b]"I knew how good they are, off the ball very aggressive and on the ball they have different weapons: set-pieces, and Brobbey."[/b][/p][image alt="Brian Brobbey's stats against Manchester City" id="e068feb7-47ef-4962-8bfe-61a09de8b78a" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="d4f12c6f-6bfd-4593-b339-975a7a8ad7ed" original-width="2160" original-height="2700" /][p]Maresca has made light of the daunting task of stepping into the shoes of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/guardiola-pep/hxNijWrJ/"]Pep Guardiola[/a].[/p][p]City were outclassed by Arsenal in the Community Shield last month but have responded with seven consecutive wins in all competitions since.[/p][p][b]"The good thing also is that these seven official games we played are all different," [/b]Maresca added.[/p][p][b]"We experienced different things, the last one with 10 men (against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/manchester-united/ppjDR086/"]Manchester United[/a]), today was a complicated one, the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/bournemouth/OtpNdwrc/"]Bournemouth[/a] one we were losing 1-0, so also a chance to learn."[/b][/p][p]Brobbey became the first player since 2007 to score a Premier League hat-trick but end up on the losing side.[/p][p]The Dutch international had not scored this season prior to Sunday, but [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sunderland/WSzc94ws/"]Sunderland[/a] boss Regis Le Bris said he never doubted that Brobbey would come good.[/p][embed guid="f2c463fa-0e41-4a94-b011-a545e5b7559a" url="https://x.com/SunderlandAFC/status/2101700715110355400?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]"I'm really pleased for him because it's never easy to have a long period without scoring. Now it's done."[/b][/p][p]Sunderland could even have racked up more goals as they rattled City for long periods, but were undone by the quality of Maresca's men going forward.[/p][p][b]"It's a defeat, but we are proud of the level of the squad," [/b]Le Bris added. [b]"We created many chances. Probably deserved to score two or three more goals, so it was really tight.[/b][/p][p][b]"At that level, against one of the best teams in Europe, a half chance gets punished, and it's probably the lesson of the day."[/b][/p][infobox id="02b45e73-9abc-454d-882a-650a1a621f7d" /]