Manchester City head into the first international break three points clear at the top of the Premier League, after Antoine Semenyo’s double helped secure a thrilling 5-3 win against Sunderland.
Sunderland began strongly at the Etihad Stadium but were stunned in the ninth minute when Enzo Fernandez curled a brilliant free kick past goalkeeper Robin Roefs for his first goal since his record-equalling £125-million ($167.41-million) move from Chelsea.
The visitors deservedly levelled three minutes later, when Brian Brobbey took an Enzo Le Fee pass and placed a shot past Gianluigi Donnarumma. However, Rayan Cherki restored City’s lead in the 29th minute when the ball fell to him in the box and he poked home. 2-1!
Brobbey was a constant menace though and he equalised when he converted into an empty net from a Thomas Meunier assist. 2-2!!
City then went in ahead after a breathless first half after Ghanaian International Semenyo finished emphatically past goalkeeper Roefs.
Semenyo gave City breathing space in the 57th minute with a drilled finish, after Sunderland’s defence failed to clear the ball. 4-2!!
But Sunderland and Brobbey, were not finished.
The Dutch forward applied the finishing touch to a shot by Nilson Angulo to become the first Sunderland player to score a Premier League hat-trick since Jermaine Defoe in 2016. 4-3!!
Only some desperate defending stopped Sunderland levelling for the third time, with Ruben Dias close to an own goal before a late clearance.
But Haaland finally got his goal to make the points safe, meaning he has now scored against all 25 Premier League clubs he has faced in a little over four years in England.
A pulsating clash at a sunny Etihad Stadium saw Sunderland twice equalise and the result was still in the balance.
Until Erling Haaland got on the scoresheet late on to seal the points and maintain City’s 100% start to the league season.
“Too many goals, I prefer 1-0 much better,” smiling City manager Enzo Maresca said after a seventh successive win in all competitions to cap a dream start to the post-Guardiola era.
“It was very difficult, but we found a way to win the game. The good thing also is that these seven official games have all been different. We experience different things.”
Sunday’s Premier League results
Bournemouth 0-1 Liverpool
Leeds 0-0 Crystal Palace
Manchester City 5-3 Sunderland
Fulham 1-1 Manchester United.
