City made it five Premier League wins from five under Enzo Maresca with a remarkable 5-3 victory over Sunderland at the Etihad Stadium.
Antoine Semenyo scored twice, while Enzo Fernandez, Rayan Cherki and Erling Haaland were also on target. Brian Brobbey’s hat-trick kept Sunderland in the contest until Haaland finally settled it nine minutes from time.
Man City player ratings against Sunderland
Gianluigi Donnarumma – 6/10: Beaten three times on an uncomfortable afternoon for City’s defence. Brobbey took his chances well and there was little Donnarumma could do about the finishes.
Matheus Nunes – 6/10: Got forward regularly from right-back but Sunderland found space when City lost the ball. Had some difficult moments defensively.
Ruben Dias – 6/10: Brobbey gave him a proper examination with his strength and movement. City rarely looked secure at the back and Dias had a busier afternoon than he would have wanted.
Marc Guehi – 6/10: Comfortable in possession but found Sunderland much harder to deal with when they attacked quickly. Brobbey ensured neither City centre-back had an easy afternoon.
Josko Gvardiol – 6.5/10: Offered plenty on the left and was willing to get forward. Better going towards Sunderland’s goal than defending his own.
Enzo Fernandez – 8/10: Opened the scoring after nine minutes with a clever free-kick and continued to influence the game from midfield. One of City’s better performers amid the chaos around him.
Elliot Anderson – 7/10: Had plenty of ground to cover in a game that became increasingly open. Stuck to his task and kept looking for the ball.
Iliman Ndiaye – 7.5/10: His movement caused Sunderland problems and he provided the pass for Semenyo’s second. Another useful contribution without getting on the scoresheet himself.
Rayan Cherki – 8/10: Put City 2-1 ahead with a smart finish after 29 minutes and remained dangerous when he found pockets of space. Sunderland struggled to pick him up.
Antoine Semenyo – 9/10 (Man of the Match): City’s best player. His first goal put them back ahead just before the break and his second made it 4-2. Two excellent finishes at exactly the moments City needed them.
Erling Haaland – 8/10: Sunderland kept him relatively quiet for long periods, but he still found a way onto the scoresheet. His 81st-minute goal, confirmed after a VAR check, finally put an extraordinary game to bed.
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