Erling Haaland Sets Premier League Record as Manchester City Beat Sunderland in Thrilling 5-3 Match
Erling Haaland reached a remarkable milestone by scoring his 117th Premier League goal, completing the set of top-flight clubs he has scored against as Manchester City edged Sunderland 5-3 in a dramatic match. Despite Brian Brobbey’s stunning hat-trick for Sunderland, City held on for victory in a game packed with goals and excitement.
City Prevail in an Eight-Goal Thriller
Sunday's encounter saw Enzo Maresca's team extend their perfect start to the season with a hard-fought 5-3 win. The visitors made things difficult by racing into a strong lead thanks to goals from Enzo Fernandez, Rayan Cherki, and two from Antoine Semenyo. However, Haaland’s late goal sealed the result and added a historic layer to the game.
The Norwegian striker scored in the 81st minute, marking the eighth and final goal of the contest. After a VAR review overturned an initial offside call, Haaland’s goal was confirmed, making him the first player to have scored against all 25 Premier League teams he has faced while playing for City. Sunderland had been the only side that had previously kept him scoreless across two meetings last season.
Haaland Leads Golden Boot Race
This strike also pushed Haaland’s tally to five goals this season, placing him at the top of the early Golden Boot leaderboard, one ahead of Alexander Isak, who recently scored a winner for Liverpool against Bournemouth.
Brobbey’s Historic Hat-Trick in Defeat
While Haaland grabbed headlines, Sunderland’s Brian Brobbey delivered a performance to remember. His hat-trick was the first against Manchester City in the Premier League in six years, the last being Jamie Vardy. It was also Sunderland’s first top-flight hat-trick since Jermain Defoe achieved it ten years ago.
Brobbey joined an exclusive group of players — including Robbie Fowler, Dirk Kuyt, and Romelu Lukaku — who have scored a treble against the league leaders on the day. Unfortunately, despite his three goals, Sunderland still lost, making Brobbey the first Premier League player since December 2007 to score a hat-trick and end up on the losing side against the team top of the table.
Maresca Joins Elite Managers with Perfect Start
The victory continued Enzo Maresca's flawless beginning as City manager. With five wins from five matches, he became only the sixth Premier League coach to achieve this feat on debut, joining names like Carlo Ancelotti, Pep Guardiola, Craig Shakespeare, Maurizio Sarri, and Ole Gunnar Solskjær.
With Haaland in top form and Maresca’s leadership steady, Manchester City look ready to maintain their strong domestic run as the season progresses.
- Date: 10 October 2026
- Time: 17:00
- Next fixture: Brighton & Hove Albion vs Sunderland
- Upcoming match: Liverpool vs Manchester City on 11 October 2026 at 18:30
