adminBrian Brobbey produced a sensational hat-trick for Sunderland, but his remarkable individual performance was not enough as Manchester City claimed a thrilling 5-3 victory at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
The eight-goal encounter delivered an extraordinary afternoon of attacking football, with both sides repeatedly finding ways through each other’s defence. City ultimately maintained their perfect Premier League record, while Sunderland were left to reflect on an impressive attacking display that failed to produce any points.
Manchester City took the lead in the ninth minute when Enzo Fernández scored his first goal for the club. His cleverly struck free-kick from a tight angle caught Sunderland goalkeeper Robin Roefs off guard and put the hosts ahead.
Sunderland responded almost immediately, however. Just three minutes later, Brobbey raced onto Enzo Le Fée’s excellent pass before calmly lifting the ball beyond Gianluigi Donnarumma to restore parity.
City regained the advantage in the 29th minute through Rayan Cherki, who found space inside the penalty area before firing into the bottom corner.
Once again, Sunderland refused to surrender.
Brobbey was at the centre of the response, sweeping Thomas Meunier’s cross into the net to make it 2-2. The goal survived a lengthy VAR review, with the Sunderland striker eventually confirmed to have been onside.
The frantic first half still had another twist. Antoine Semenyo restored Manchester City’s lead shortly before the interval with a powerful finish, giving the hosts a 3-2 advantage at half-time.
Semenyo struck again in the 57th minute after Sunderland failed to deal with the danger inside their penalty area, giving City a two-goal cushion for the first time in the contest.
But Brobbey had no intention of allowing Sunderland to disappear from the contest.
Just two minutes after Semenyo’s second goal, the former Ajax forward completed his hat-trick. Nilson Angulo created the opportunity, and Brobbey reacted quickly to finish from close range and reduce the deficit to 4-3.
The hat-trick was particularly significant, making Brobbey the first Sunderland player to score a Premier League treble since Jermain Defoe in 2016. He also became only the sixth player in Premier League history to score a hat-trick in a match his team ultimately lost.
Sunderland continued to threaten an equaliser, with Ruben Dias producing crucial defensive work to prevent the visitors from drawing level.
Manchester City eventually settled the contest in the 81st minute when Erling Haaland converted Josko Gvardiol’s cross. The goal initially appeared to have been ruled out for offside, but VAR overturned the decision and awarded City’s fifth goal.
The strike also completed a significant personal milestone for Haaland, who had now scored against every Premier League opponent he has faced — 25 teams in total.
Despite the defeat, Brobbey’s performance provided a major positive for Sunderland. His three goals repeatedly dragged his side back into the contest and ensured City could never relax during a remarkable encounter.
For Manchester City, the victory extended their perfect start to five consecutive league wins and moved them three points clear at the top of the Premier League table heading into the international break.
Sunderland, meanwhile, will take encouragement from the attacking quality they displayed at the Etihad, although their defensive weaknesses ultimately proved costly against a City side that punished almost every major opening.
Brobbey may have left Manchester without the points, but his hat-trick ensured his performance became one of the defining stories of an unforgettable eight-goal Premier League thriller.
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