Enzo Maresca can enjoy a little relaxation over the international break after Manchester City extended their perfect start to the season — but Sunday’s frantic 5-3 win over Sunderland was not good for his blood pressure.
Sunderland twice drew level in a chaotic first half, with Brian Brobbey cancelling out goals from Enzo Fernández and Rayan Cherki before Antoine Semenyo put City 3-2 up at the break.
Semenyo extended City’s lead further but Brobbey quickly completed his hat trick, and City needed Erling Haaland‘s 81st-minute strike to be sure of going three points clear at the top of the Premier League.
Amid the chaos, Sunderland had a penalty shout turned down after Elliot Anderson appeared to handle in the box with the score at 3-2.
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“To be honest, I prefer to win 1-0 than 5-3, but I expected a very difficult game,” Maresca said. “I knew how they good are, off the ball very aggressive and on the ball they have different weapons, set-pieces, and Brobbey.”
Since losing the Community Shield against Arsenal, City have won five straight in the league, also winning their opening Champions League match and beating Norwich in the Carabao Cup.
“I know it was a difficult game, but happy because we found a way to win the game and the good thing also is that these seven official games we played they are all different,” Maresca added.
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“We experienced different things, the last one with 10 men [against Manchester United], today was a complicated one, the Bournemouth one we were losing 1-0 so also a chance to learn from the game.”
Sunderland caused City plenty of problems, not content to sit back and defend but playing on the front foot and denying City the control they usually enjoy at home.
Maresca admitted at least two of the visitors’ three goals were “too easy” from a City point of view.
“For sure you can control it better, keeping the ball, but there are games you want to control or keep the ball but there is also another team,” Maresca said. “Sunderland-Arsenal last week was another crazy game. There is another team that do their best.”
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Brobbey’s first goals of the season came in a bundle as the 24-year-old became only the sixth player in Premier League history to score a hat trick and finish on the losing side.
“We were not concerned because he didn’t score in the first four games,” Regis Le Bris said. “He showed so many good signs in training sessions and his mentality on the pitch in the Premier League and Europa League.
“It was just a question of time, and the connection with his teammates is getting better. I’m really pleased for him because it’s never easy to have a long period without scoring. Now it’s done.”
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Sunderland ended defeated, but could leave the Etihad with their heads held high after causing City so many problems.
“It’s a defeat, but we are proud of the level of the squad,” Le Bris added. “We created many chances. Probably deserved to score two or three more goals so it was really tight.
“At that level against one of the best teams in Europe a half chance gets punished, and it’s probably the lesson of the day.”
