Manchester City kept their perfect Premier League start alive on Sunday, September 20, beating Sunderland 5-3 in an eight-goal thriller at the Etihad Stadium. But beyond the scoreline, the match produced an unusual moment when Erling Haaland reacted to a chant from Sunderland supporters and appeared to join in with the joke.
The Manchester City vs Sunderland 5-3 match also exposed a more serious issue for new manager Enzo Maresca. City remain perfect after five league games, but their defence gave Sunderland enough opportunities to turn the game into a much bigger problem.
Haaland Turns a Taunt Into a Celebration
Haaland’s late goal settled the contest after Sunderland repeatedly fought their way back into the game. The Norwegian striker then became part of one of the night’s lighter moments when Sunderland fans aimed a cheeky chant at him involving their striker Brian Brobbey.
Rather than appearing angered by the teasing, Haaland’s reaction helped turn the exchange into another viral moment from an already chaotic afternoon.
There was also a footballing reason for Sunderland’s confidence. Brobbey scored three times, becoming the first Sunderland player to score a Premier League hat-trick since Jermain Defoe in 2016. His performance repeatedly exposed spaces in City’s defence.
Eight Goals Hide City’s Defensive Problem
The headline will naturally focus on City’s five goals, but Maresca’s reaction after the game showed where his attention is likely to be during the international break.
City have now won all five league matches, giving them 15 points and a three-point lead over Arsenal. Yet Sunderland scored three times and created further chances, while City twice allowed the visitors to level the match.
Maresca said he would rather win 1-0 than 5-3 and admitted that two of Sunderland’s goals were conceded too easily. That is an important detail because City’s attacking numbers can make the defensive problems easy to overlook.
Brobbey Gives Sunderland Something to Build On
For Sunderland, the defeat was painful because the scoreline does not fully reflect how competitive the visitors were.
Brobbey’s hat-trick made him only the second player in many decades to score three times in a Premier League match that his team lost by more than one goal. Sunderland repeatedly attacked City’s back line and forced the home side to defend under pressure.
The performance gives Régis Le Bris something positive to work with, even though defensive mistakes ultimately prevented Sunderland from leaving Manchester with a major result.
What Comes Next for Manchester City?
The result leaves City at the top of the Premier League 2026/27 table heading into the international break. Haaland’s goal also completed his scoring record against Sunderland, meaning he has now scored against every Premier League club he has faced.
The bigger test for Maresca will be whether City can maintain their attacking efficiency while reducing the defensive openings that Sunderland exposed. Five wins from five is the perfect start, but the 5-3 scoreline suggests there is still plenty for the new manager to work on.
