Man City's thrilling yet disorderly 5-3 triumph over Sunderland was a far cry from the tight‑knit, possession‑based football usually linked with Pep Guardiola's side. Enzo Maresca summed it up succinctly: "We wanted to dominate, but the opposition simply wouldn't let us." The Black Cats made life difficult for the hosts, and City, in turn, made their own job harder.
Before kickoff Maresca had already warned that the challenge would be immense. He was right.
"I knew how good they are, especially off the ball – they are very aggressive," he said after Sunderland turned the Etihad into a battlefield. It was a rare night at home for City: they surrendered an unprecedented amount of space, allowed a flood of chances and, astonishingly, gave up three goals. Why did the usually compact side become so porous? The answer lies in the physicality and the tactical approach of the visitors.
Brian Brobbey once again displayed his trademark hold‑up play, echoing his performance against Arsenal the week before, but this time he paired his strength with a hat‑trick of superb finishes. Each time Brobbey out‑muscled Ruben Dias – and he did it repeatedly – a gap opened for a teammate to exploit.
Enzo Le Fee surged forward in waves, while Nilson Angulo and Thomas Meunier quickly arrived from the flanks, creating a constant overload on the right side. Sunderland's midfielders, Elliot Anderson and Enzo Fernandez, struggled to cope with the physical duel and could not match the intensity when the visitors pressed tightly or stretched the play.
The numbers tell the story: Brobbey won ten of the twelve duels he entered and earned five fouls, the highest tally in the match, proving he was the clear winner of the physical contest. Despite being out‑matched in many duels and often out‑run, City managed to adapt. They learned to play Sunderland's game for long stretches, capitalising on the visitors' errors and digging deep to find the back of the net in an unorthodox, "anti‑Pep" fashion. The result was imperfect but undeniably effective, a reminder that flexibility can sometimes outweigh strict adherence to a philosophy.
The match also featured a broader narrative about Manchester United's struggles. Michael Carrick has been forced to defend his side against a chorus of criticism after a series of disappointing results: a derby defeat, a Carabao Cup collapse and a point earned at a club that was fighting relegation. At Craven Cottage, Carrick addressed United's joint‑worst start to a Premier League campaign, pointing to fine margins – a long‑range strike at Everton, a wrongly awarded City goal, a bizarre own‑goal at Fulham and two shots that rattled the post. He argued that while each game contained positives, the negatives were outweighing them, especially in physical, defensive and possession aspects.
With a ten‑point gap to league leaders City, United's hopes of improving on last season's third‑place finish appear slim. Carrick insists there is still a long season ahead, but significant changes beyond minor tweaks will be required for any turnaround. Across the same weekend, Liverpool's Cody Gakpo continued his streak of decisive contributions.
He has been involved in a goal or an assist in every league match he has started this season – from the opening goal at Newcastle to a silky assist against Nottingham Forest, two assists in the win over Ipswich, and a goal in the Carabao Cup victory over Tottenham. His most notable moment came in the 1‑0 win at Bournemouth, where his hard‑run down the right and pinpoint cross set up Alexander Isak's winner.
Liverpool manager Arne Iraola praised Gakpo's effort, noting that the difficulty of the goal lay in the build‑up rather than the finish, and lamented that Gakpo was not officially credited with an assist. Defensively, Gakpo also shone, winning more duels than any other player on the pitch and neutralising one of Bournemouth's main threats. Iraola highlighted his defensive work, especially against Adrien Truffert, underscoring Gakpo's importance on both ends of the field.
When Gakpo has been unavailable, Liverpool have looked diminished, as seen in a goalless draw with Fulham where the Dutchman was limited to the bench. Given his form, it is astonishing that Liverpool entertained the idea of selling him over the summer; the team would be markedly weaker without his contributions.
Meanwhile, Bournemouth entered the three‑week international break without a win, a sobering contrast to the euphoria of their recent European victory over Real Sociedad. Their Premier League outing at the Vitality Stadium was lacklustre; despite a solid defensive display, they lacked the cutting edge in attack, partly due to the absence of Justin Kluivert through injury and a lack of squad rotation. Manager Marco Rose has made only two changes to his starting line‑ups this season, the fewest of any club, a strategy that is unsustainable when juggling domestic and European commitments. Without adequate rotation, the squad risks fatigue and a potential slide into a relegation battle.
At Fulham, Alvaro Arbeloa acknowledged the team's improvement after draws with Liverpool and Manchester United, especially after a dismal run that saw three consecutive defeats early in the campaign. Young striker Josh King has emerged as a standout, scoring twice in the first five games and justifying his academy pedigree. New signing David Affengruber, acquired for £8.5 million from Elche, impressed on debut at centre‑back, temporarily pushing veteran Joachim Andersen out of the starting XI.
However, Gonzalo Garcia, who opened the season with a goal after his Real Madrid move, has struggled to find the net, managing only two shots on target from fifteen attempts. Arbeloa now faces a crucial six‑week period to mould his squad before the next round of fixtures against the newly promoted clubs.
Crystal Palace arrived at Elland Road with a leaky defence – eleven goals conceded in their first four league games – but left with a clean sheet after a disciplined second‑half display that left Leeds United frustrated. Palace's tactical shift at halftime, adopting a more compact and aggressive stance, put Leeds under sustained pressure. Leeds appeared flat, with Dominic Calvert‑Lewin receiving little service and, when chances did arise, Palace goalkeeper Walter Benítez was ready to deny him. The goalless draw ultimately reflected a balance of strengths, yet Palace can draw far more confidence from the performance than Leeds can.
For manager Pierre Sage, this defensive solidity could serve as the foundation for a much‑needed turnaround. Overall, the weekend highlighted the unpredictable nature of the Premier League: dominant teams can be unsettled, emerging talents can change games, and managerial decisions on rotation and tactics can have immediate consequences.
As the season progresses, adaptability and depth will likely separate the contenders from the rest.