Manchester City continued their strong start to the Premier League season after defeating Sunderland 5–3 in a thrilling encounter at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, September 20, 2026.
It was an entertaining contest, with both teams displaying plenty of attacking quality. City took the lead several times, but Sunderland repeatedly fought their way back into the game before Erling Haaland’s late goal ended the visitors’ hopes.
City Make Fast Start
Manchester City opened the scoring in the ninth minute through Enzo Fernandez, who found the net with a free-kick from a position close to the goal, beating goalkeeper Robin Roefs.
Sunderland responded just three minutes later. Brian Brobbey equalised after receiving a well-weighted pass from Enzo Le Fee before finishing past Gianluigi Donnarumma.
City regained the lead in the 29th minute through Rayan Cherki, but Brobbey levelled again in the 33rd minute to complete his brace.
Before half-time, Antoine Semenyo restored City’s lead in the 43rd minute, sending the hosts into the break 3–2 ahead.
City continued to attack after the restart, with Semenyo scoring his second goal in the 57th minute to make it 4–2.
But Sunderland refused to give up. Brobbey completed his hat-trick in the 59th minute after finishing a ball from Granit Xhaka, bringing Sunderland back to within one goal at 4–3.
That made the contest even more exciting, with Sunderland searching for an equaliser while City looked for the goal that would put the game beyond doubt.
Haaland Finishes the Job
In the 81st minute, Erling Haaland scored Manchester City’s fifth goal after receiving the ball from Josko Gvardiol and finding the back of the net.
The goal was initially ruled out for offside, but VAR reviewed the incident and confirmed that it was valid. City went on to secure a 5–3 victory.
The win extended Manchester City’s perfect record to five victories from their opening five Premier League matches of the season, sending them into the international break at the top of the table.
The match also marked City’s fifth consecutive league victory under head coach Enzo Maresca.
For Sunderland, despite the defeat, scoring three goals against City ensured the match remained a highly competitive contest until the final stages.
