Haaland completes the Premier League set in eight-goal thriller

Manchester City's Erling Haaland celebrates scoring their side's fifth goal of the game after a VAR check during the Premier League match at the Etihad Stadium, Manchester. Picture date: Sunday September 20, 2026.

Premier League: Man City 5 Sunderland 3

Erling Haaland completed his set of Premier League clubs as he tucked in Manchester City’s fifth in a remarkable 5-3 win over Sunderland.

Before kick-off Sunderland were the only one of the 25 clubs the Norwegian had faced in the top flight without scoring, having drawn a blank against them twice last season.

That record looked like continuing when the Norwegian somehow contrived to miss a glorious chance at the end of the first half.

City, having just gone 3-2 up, quickly counter-attacked and the excellent Iliman Ndiaye cut inside and laid the ball off, but Haaland put his shot just wide of a gaping goal.

Antoine Semenyo scored City’s fourth in the 57th minute when Rayan Cherki’s pass – intended for the Norwegian – found its way through the Sunderland defence. Haaland might have pulled rank, but instead recognised his team-mate was better placed to fire beyond Robin Roefs.

Instead the chance Haaland needed came in the 81st minute when Josko Gvardiol squared for Haaland to tuck in at the back post.

Initially disallowed for offside against Gvardiol, after a VAR check Haaland could celebrate making it 25 out of 25.

Brian Brobbey scored a hat-trick in a losing cause as City maintained their 100 per cent Premier League start.

In a game characterised by poor defending, City struggled to kill off the fired-up visitors at the Etihad Stadium, with Brobbey a constant thorn in their side.

Ultimately two goals from Antoine Semenyo and the late strike from Haaland finished the job for City, for whom Enzo Fernandez and Rayan Cherki were also on target.

Unlike in last week’s Manchester derby, City failed to assert control against a Sunderland side clearly not drained by their midweek Europa League excursions.

For new manager Enzo Maresca, however, it was at least a fifth successive league win and City head into the international break with a three-point lead at the top.

City were given an early warning as Sunderland broke from deep and Enzo Le Fee played in Nilson Angulo but he steered wide.

Sunderland paid for that miss as Fernandez fired home from a ninth-minute free-kick after Iliman Ndiaye was brought down by Dayann Methalie.

Goalkeeper Robin Roefs left a huge gap at his near post having set up with only two men in the wall. Fernandez took full advantage, curling in his first goal since his £125million move from Chelsea.

Sunderland responded quickly and were back level three minutes later as Lee played a superb ball between Ruben Dias and Matheus Nunes and Brobbey deftly flicked beyond Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Sunderland’s good work up front contrasted with that at the back, as an attempt to play out plunged them into more trouble. Kevin Danso gifted possession and confusion reigned before Cherki tucked in.

Again City could not hang onto the lead as Le Fee played in Thomas Meunier and his square pass was turned in by Brobbey. The goal was awarded after a lengthy VAR check for offside, leaving Donnarumma to vent his anger at the standard of Cherki’s defending.

City regained the lead before the break after a Cherki cross led to more panic in the Sunderland area. The Black Cats claimed Marc Guehi handled but nothing was given and Semenyo lashed in.

Haaland should have had another but inexplicably missed an open goal after being teed up by Ndiaye and Brobbey was denied another when a shot took an awkward deflection and was palmed onto the bar by Donnarumma.

City’s fourth came early in the second half as a Cherki pass intended for Haaland ricocheted off a defender and bobbled into the path of Semenyo. Again he finished clinically.

Yet still City were not convincing and more sloppy play allowed Sunderland back in.

Angulo brought down a long ball as he ran in at the back post and although his effort looked like it might cross the line, Brobbey took no chances and pounced to compete his treble.

Remarkably it could have been 4-4 moments later as Donnarumma failed to deal with a cross and the ball bounced off Dias towards goal. The Portuguese sprinted back to hook off the line.

Typically it needed to Haaland to finally put the result beyond doubt.

Making amends for his earlier miss, the Norwegian slid in at the back post to tap in after Josko Gvardiol broke clear down the left nine minutes from time.

MANCHESTER CITY: Donnarumma, Gvardiol, Guéhi, Rúben Dias (c), Matheus Nunes, Anderson, Fernández, Semenyo, Cherki (O'Reilly 85), Ndiaye (Doku 75), Haaland.

SUNDERLAND: Roefs, Méthalie, Ballard, Danso, Mukiele, Sadiki (Isidor 68), Xhaka (c), Angulo (Fofana 60), Le Fée, Meunier (Hume 79), Brobbey.

Referee: Robert Jones.