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Manchester City win thriller to top EPL, United rescue draw
AP •  September 21st, 2026 8:12 am
Manchester City's Erling Haaland scored again in his side's thrilling 5-3 win over Sunderland | Photo: AP
No Pep Guardiola. No problem.
Not yet anyway for Manchester City after moving clear at the top of the English Premier League on Sunday (Monday NZ time) with a 5-3 win over Sunderland.
New coach Enzo Maresca extended his perfect winning start to the season to five games and goes into the international break three points ahead of defending champion Arsenal in second place.
But that doesn't tell half the story of a chaotic match at the Etihad Stadium that saw City twice squander the lead and Sunderland striker Brian Brobbey outshine Erling Haaland with a hat trick.
Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca has maintained a perfect start to the new EPL season | Photo: EPA
Eventually it was Haaland who ended the visitors' brave fight with City's fifth goal in the 81st minute.
Manchester United left it even later to salvage a 1-1 draw at Fulham and avoid three straight defeats in all competitions. Matheus Cunha's heavily deflected shot in the 89th earned Michael Carrick's team a point at Craven Cottage.
Alexander Isak scored his fourth goal of the season as Liverpool beat Bournemouth 1-0, and Leeds drew 0-0 with Crystal Palace.
Maresca's 100 per cent record continues after taking on arguably the most daunting task in soccer when stepping into Guardiola's shoes over the summer.
Charged with the responsibility of continuing City's unprecedented era of success, which included six league titles and the Champions League among 17 major trophies, he has made the best possible start in terms of results.
But City will likely have to tighten up defensively if it is to end a two-year title drought.
"I would prefer to win 1-0 than 5-3," Maresca said.
"I'm always trying to see what we can do better. Two of the three goals that we concede, they have been too easy."
Liverpool's Alexander Isak celebrates his winner against Bournemouth | Photo: AP
Sunderland repeatedly cut City open, scoring three goals and creating numerous chances to add more.
Enzo Fernandez opened the scoring in the ninth minute with a free kick that curled into the near post, but Brobbey got in behind City's defense to quickly level.
Rayan Cherki restored the home team's advantage before Brobbey equalised for a second time as Sunderland again took advantage of slack City defending.
Antoine Semenyo drilled a low shot past Sunderland goalkeeper Robin Roefs shortly before halftime and lashed home his second in the 57th to give City breathing room.
Brobbey completed his hat trick by forcing the ball over the line from close range and Ruben Dias had to clear off the line to avoid the game being leveled again with an own-goal.
Haaland's seventh goal in his last five games avoided a tense finish and ensured that City sits clear at the top after Arsenal's surprise loss to Brighton on Saturday (Sunday NZT).
Who finishes second in EPL 2026/27? | Studs Up! podcast
Meanwhile, after back-to-back losses, United really needed a win to ease the pressure going into the international break in Sunday's (Monday NZT) late game.
By full-time at Craven Cottage there was relief all around just to pick up a draw against winless Fulham.
"We came to get the win, but the way it has panned out and the way we finished the game are the positives we take from it," United coach Carrick said.
"We know we can be better and we need to be better about certain things. That is pretty clear and we will be."
Lisandro Martinez's own-goal shortly after the hour looked like piling more misery on Carrick after defeats to Man City and Brighton over the past week.
United twice hit the post in the first half but rarely looked like finding an equalizer until Cunha's long-range shot deflected off David Affengruber and wrong-footed Fulham 'keeper Bernd Leno.
The point for Fulham leaves big-spending Tottenham at the bottom of the standings on goal difference.
It was a winning return to Bournemouth for Liverpool coach Andoni Iraola after leaving the south coast club at the end of last season.
The Spanish coach had three successful seasons at the Vitality Stadium before taking over at Anfield.
He had Isak to thank for Liverpool's second league win of the campaign with the Sweden international providing a composed finish from close range in the 57th.
The striker endured a difficult first season at Liverpool which was disrupted by injury. But he has started impressively this season with four goals in five league appearances.
Leeds maintained its unbeaten start to the season with a 0-0 draw at home to Crystal Palace and, after battling relegation last term, is fifth in the standings.
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