Enzo Maresca has moved to temper expectations after Manchester City climbed to the top of the Premier League following a chaotic 5-3 victory over Sunderland at the Etihad Stadium. Despite the win providing City with 15 points from their opening five fixtures—putting them three points clear of Arsenal following the champions’ defeat to Brighton—Maresca insisted it is still far too early in the campaign to consider the title race.
Reflecting on the match, the manager expressed relief at securing the win but admitted dissatisfaction with the defensive lapses. While he acknowledged the importance of maintaining a points advantage, he noted that the international break provides an opportunity to review and improve. Maresca stated he would have preferred a 1-0 result, noting that he anticipated a highly aggressive and difficult opponent in Sunderland.
The match was defined by persistent back-and-forth action. City took the lead twice in the first half through Enzo Fernández and Rayan Cherki, only for Sunderland’s Brian Brobbey to level the score both times. Antoine Semenyo eventually secured a 3-2 lead for the hosts just before halftime. Semenyo later extended that lead to 4-2 in the second half, and although Brobbey completed his hat-trick in the 59th minute to narrow the deficit, Erling Haaland eventually sealed the win with a late strike. Brobbey’s performance made him the first player to score three goals in a losing Premier League effort since Roque Santa Cruz in 2007.
A controversial moment arrived when the scoreline sat at 3-2. Sunderland players appealed for a handball by Elliot Anderson inside the City penalty area, but no penalty was awarded. Moments later, City broke forward to score their fourth goal. Sunderland manager Régis Le Bris expressed frustration over the non-call, stating it was difficult to interpret the play as anything other than a handball. However, Le Bris acknowledged the need to accept the official’s decision and praised his squad for their competitive performance against one of Europe’s top clubs.
Maresca highlighted that while his side created numerous opportunities and could have scored more, they must address their defensive performance after previously keeping four consecutive clean sheets. He remains focused on tactical refinements as his team heads into the international break at the summit of the table. The report also notes that of the victory against Sunderland, Maresca said: “I prefer to win 1-0 than 5-3 but I expected a very difficult game – I knew how good they are, off the ball, very aggressive. The report also notes that after the break the winger’s second made it 4-2 before Brobbey completed his hat-trick to make it 4-3 on 59 minutes.
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