Manchester City 5 Sunderland 3: Observations from one hell of a match at the Etihad | OneFootball

Manchester City 5 (Enzo Fernandez 9′, Rayan Cherki 29′, Antoine Semenyo 43′, 57′, Erling Haaland 81′)

Sunderland 3 (Brian Brobbey 12′, 33′, 59′)

Manchester City have made it seven consecutive wins in all competitions with an enthralling 5-3 win over Sunderland at the Etihad Stadium this afternoon. The match was the perfect encapsulation of the drama that the Premier League offers. Sunderland gave all they had, but Manchester City’s quality in the final third was the difference in the end.

When the starting lineups were announced, Enzo Maresca made ten changes from the starting lineup that thumped Norwich City. Rayan Cherki kept his place in City’s starting eleven as Manchester City entered today’s game with arguably their strongest eleven on the pitch. Jeremy Doku returned to the bench. Doku was back for the first time this season after suffering a calf injury during the FA Community Shield.

First half.

Sunderland began the game brightly and Régis Le Bris’ side were looking confident in possession in the games opening five minutes. The combination of Dayann Méthalie and Nilson Angulo on Sunderland’s left-hand side did look dangerous and full of confidence. Angulo would drag a great chance wide in the sixth minute for Sunderland. A long ball from Sunderland keeper Robin Roefs saw Brian Brobbey win a duel against Ruben Dias on the halfway line. The ball was played out wide to Thomas Meunier in acres of space on the right. Meunier squared the ball across the City penalty area which Angulo dragged wide from a great position.

Enzo Fernandez fires Manchester City into the lead with a quite brilliant free kick.

Despite Sunderland starting the game strongly, it was Manchester City who would take the lead. Iliman Ndiaye was fouled by Dayann Méthalie on the edge of the penalty area on the right-hand side. Enzo Fernandez stood over the free kick and it looked all for the world that he’d play a ball into the penalty area. Instead, Enzo Fernandez fired in a great free kick on goal that beat Robin Roefs at his near post to give Manchester City the lead. It was fantastic improvisation from Enzo Fernandez and he got his reward.

Sunderland bite back and equalize straight away.

Manchester City’s lead would only last three minutes. Sunderland picked up where they left off before City opened the scoring. Enzo Le Fée received the ball in midfield and played a great through ball to Brian Brobbey between Matheus Nunes and Ruben Dias. Brobbey’s first touch was superb and his composed finish with the outside of his right foot hit the oncoming Gianluigi Donnarumma’s leg and went in. Sunderland did deserve their goal for how they’d started the match. It was well and truly game on after 12 minutes.

After the fast start to the match, the game did settle down somewhat. As the match ticked past 25 minutes, both teams were having spells of possession without creating any significant openings. Sunderland’s ever-present threat of playing a long ball out of defence to Brian Brobbey was always there. Manchester City would have to figure out a solution to that threat and also grow into the game. To their credit, Sunderland weren’t allowing Enzo Maresca’s side to dictate proceedings.

Rayan Cherki restores Manchester City’s lead with a composed finish.

Manchester City took a 2-1 lead in the 29th minute. Sunderland tried to play out from the back, but Kevin Danso played a poor pass from his own area that City intercepted in midfield. A quick ball was played to Erling Haaland in the Sunderland area, but he was quickly crowded out by a good challenge by Dan Ballard. The ball fell to Antoine Semenyo, whose first touch was heavy, but it fell to Rayan Cherki. Cherki kept his composure to beat Robin Roefs with a clever low right-footed finish to give City a 2-1 lead.

Once again Brian Brobbey equalises for Sunderland as City’s defence is played through.

Manchester City’s lead would only last four minutes this time. Enzo Le Fée played a quality through ball to Thomas Meunier on the right as the City defence attempted to employ their offside trap. Instead, Meunier was played clean through in the City area and he squared the ball to Brian Brobbey for a tap-in. It was a well worked goal for Régis Le Bris’ side. However, City were far too easily played through. After a lengthy VAR check the goal stood.

Antoine Semenyo fires City back into the for the third time with a quality finish.

Manchester City would take the lead for the third occasion in the first half in the 43rd minute. City pinned Sunderland in their own area for a couple of minutes before Rayan Cherki floated a cross from the right to the back post that picked out Marc Guehi. Guehi controlled the ball with his chest and as the Sunderland defence put a challenge in the ball fell to Antoine Semenyo. The Ghana international fired in a quality strike on goal that beat Robin Roefs to give Enzo Maresca’s side a 3-2 lead. It remained to be seen if City could hold onto the lead for more than three or four minutes this time.

Erling Haaland missed a gilt-edged chance to give his team breathing space two minutes after Semenyo’s goal. Rayan Cherki was set free on the left and he played a great ball in behind the Sunderland defence to pick out Iliman Ndiaye. Ndiaye stood up the Sunderland defence and keeper Robin Roefs with a clever touch as time seemingly stood still. Ndiaye played the ball to Erling Haaland who had the simple task of tapping into the net with Robin Roefs stranded. Instead, Haaland fired wide with his right foot and the chance was wasted.

Brian Brobbey nearly completed a first-half hat trick right on the stroke of halftime. Brobbey fired in a shot on goal that was blocked into the air. Brobbey’s shot looped into the air and hit the crossbar and went behind for a corner. From the resulting corner, Kevin Danso headed a great chance straight at Gianluigi Donnarumma from six yards out after a Sunderland corner was played to the back post and headed back into a great position. Danso’s header was the final moment of an enthralling first 45 minutes.

Observations from Manchester City’s first half display.

Where do you start with that? Manchester City took a 3-2 lead into halftime. However, Sunderland gave plenty and were arguably the better side in the opening 45 minutes. Their ability to win duels was giving them a great foothold in the game. Enzo Maresca’s side struggled with the physical threat of Brian Brobbey in particular.

Manchester City’s defence was poor in the first half. The space behind Josko Gvardiol and Matheus Nunes were being targeted by Sunderland in the full-back positions. Brian Brobbey was also having his way with Ruben Dias. Brobbey was rewarded with a first-half brace for his efforts. Enzo Maresca had plenty of work to do at halftime to tighten up several areas of City’s play to ensure they could gain control of the second half.

Second half.

Both teams had chances in the early stages of the second half. Noah Sadiki fired a shot from just outside the area high and wide for Sunderland a minute after the interval. Rayan Cherki played a great ball to Iliman Ndiaye on the right in the 51st minute. However, Ndiaye’s touch was heavy and the ball rolled to Robin Roefs for the Sunderland keeper to collect. Ndiaye was in acres in space on the right. With a better touch he could’ve shot himself or squared the ball to Erling Haaland for a tap in.

Antoine Semenyo bags himself a brace and gives Manchester City breathing space.

Manchester City would take a 4-2 lead in the 57th minute. Rayan Cherki played a defence splitting ball towards Erling Haaland. Two Sunderland defenders attempted to intercept Cherki’s pass. However, they instead diverted the ball into the path of Erling Haaland and Antoine Semenyo. Haaland left the ball for Semenyo who took his time before unleashing a quality left-footed strike on goal to beat Robin Roefs.

Brian Brobbey completes his hat trick to give Sunderland another lifeline.

Once again, Sunderland would hit back almost immediately after conceding. Granit Xhaka played a great ball towards Angulo who beat Gianluigi Donnarumma to the ball and his touch rolled across the face of goal for Brian Brobbey to tap into an empty net. It was again game on with the score at 4-3.

Sunderland almost made it 4-4 in the 70th minute. A long free kick from Granit Xhaka into the City saw Gianluigi Donnarumma come charging out to punch. However, Donnarumma was beaten to the ball by a Sunderland player who headed the ball towards goal. The ball hit Ruben Dias who chased the ball down to clear it off the line after taking a touch. A minute after that, Sunderland took a long throw-in that Donnarumma came for and got nowhere near. The ball fell to Malick Fofana who saw his shot from just outside the six-yard box blocked. Brian Brobbey also saw a shot blocked on the rebound as City somehow held on.

Erling Haaland makes it 5-3 as Jeremy Doku makes his presence felt

Manchester City would take a 5-3 lead in the 81st minute. Jeremy Doku stood up a Sunderland defender on the left before playing a great through ball to Josko Gvardiol into the left-hand side of the Sunderland penalty area. Gvardiol squared the ball to Erling Haaland at the back post for a tap-in. Initially, Gvardiol was flagged offside. However, after a quick VAR review, Gvardiol was in fact onside and Haaland’s goal stood.

Nico O’Reilly should have made it 6-3 in the 86th minute a minute after replacing Rayan Cherki. Jeremy Doku played a fantastic ball from the left through the heart of the Sunderland defence. O’Reilly picked up the ball in acres of space around eight yards out from goal but he hit his shot straight at Robin Roefs who saved well.

Dan Ballard would strike the post in the 89th minute as Sunderland refused to give up the fight. The Manchester City defence failed to clear the ball from their own area, before Sunderland played a low ball from the right which Gianluigi Donnarumma parried into danger. Dan Ballard got a shot on goal that limped its way onto the post and wide via a deflection from a City defender.

Outside of a Malick Fofana header from close range that went straight to Gianluigi Donnarumma, Manchester City rode out the remainder of the match to pick up all three points with a 5-3 win. Today’s match was pure bedlam but Enzo Maresca’s side moves three points clear at the top of the Premier League as domestic football pauses for the upcoming international break.

Observations from Manchester City’s performance across the full 90 minutes.

First of all, what a game. Full credit must got to Sunderland for having a red hot go at Manchester City today. Régis Le Bris’ were a threat throughout today’s match and gave City one almighty scare. Enzo Maresca’s assessment that Sunderland would be City’s toughest test of the new season was on the money. Sunderland gave everything and on another day the result could have been different.

Manchester City made it seven consecutive wins in all competitions with their 5-3 win at the Etihad. However, City’s overall performance wasn’t up to their usual high standards. Manchester City’s defence was shaky as was Gianluigi Donnarumma. However, City’s quality in the final third was the difference between the two teams come the final whistle.

Today’s match was a typical Premier League affair but City made is five wins from five and sit three points clear at the top of the Premier League table as domestic football takes a break for an extended international break. Enzo Maresca’s side remains a work in progress which was clear to see throughout today’s game.