Man City's thrilling yet disorderly 5-3 triumph over Sunderland offered a stark contrast to the tight‑control style 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 miserable for the visitors, and City, in turn, did not make things any easier for themselves.
Before kickoff Maresca had already warned that the task ahead would be massive, and the match proved his point. "I knew how good they are, especially off the ball – they are relentless," he later explained after Sunderland turned the Etihad into a hostile arena.
It was rare to see City surrender so much ground, hand over so many chances at home, or concede three goals in a single fixture. What caused the breakdown?
Brian Brobbey once again demonstrated why he is becoming a hold‑up specialist. Following his performance against Arsenal the previous week, Brobbey combined his physicality with a hat‑trick of superb finishes. Each time he won a duel with Ruben Dias – and he did so repeatedly – a pocket of space opened up for his teammates.
Enzo Le Fee surged forward to support the attacks, while Nilson Angulo and Thomas Meunier quickly arrived from the flanks. The result was a constant overload in the final third, a pattern that repeated throughout the game. Sunderland's midfield duo, Elliot Anderson and Enzo Fernández, struggled to cope with the physical battles, unable to match City's pressing intensity when the visitors switched to a man‑to‑man or longer‑ball approach. Statistically, City were out‑duelled and outrun in many areas.
Brobbey alone contested twelve duels, winning ten and drawing five fouls, making him the clear winner of the aerial and ground battles. His presence could not be contained, and he became the engine that powered City’s attacking bursts. Fortunately for Maresca, the team managed to impose their own rhythm for enough of the match to net five goals.
They capitalised on Sunderland's errors, digging deep and delivering a performance that, while messy, was undeniably effective – an "anti‑Pep" display that still secured the win. The chaotic nature of the game should perhaps be given some credit. Laura Hunter noted that the victory, despite its imperfections, demonstrated City’s ability to adapt and find a way through adversity. In a separate narrative, Michael Carrick has been steadily deflecting criticism aimed at Manchester United.
After a painful derby defeat, a Carabao Cup collapse and a point earned at a struggling Fulham side, Carrick was asked about United's historically poor start to a Premier League campaign. He pointed to fine margins – a long‑range strike at Everton, a wrongly awarded City goal, a bizarre own goal at Fulham, and two shots that struck the post. While each incident alone could be dismissed, together they illustrate a pattern of near‑misses. Carrick warned that the accumulation of sub‑par performances is eroding United’s confidence.
Though each match contains moments of quality, the negatives are beginning to outweigh the positives. Deficiencies in physicality, defensive organization and possession have been exposed at crucial junctures, and the team continues to pay the price. The gap to league leaders Manchester City has already stretched to ten points, making any realistic challenge for a higher finish appear distant.
"There is still a long season ahead," Carrick told the press, emphasizing that a comprehensive overhaul – beyond mere tactical tweaks – will be required for United to recover. Turning to Liverpool, Cody Gakpo has become a constant source of excitement this season.
In every league appearance he has either scored or created a goal. He opened his tally against Newcastle on opening day, delivered a silky assist versus Nottingham Forest, provided both assists in the Ipswich win, and added a goal and an assist in the Carabao Cup clash with Tottenham. Yet his most memorable contribution came in Liverpool’s 1‑0 victory at Bournemouth, where his hard‑run down the right and pinpoint cross set up Alexander Isak’s decisive strike. Liverpool manager Igor Iraola praised Gakpo’s effort, noting that the difficulty of the goal lay in Gakpo’s work rate, even though he was not officially credited with the assist.
Defensively, Gakpo also shone at Bournemouth, winning more duels than any other player on the pitch and neutralising one of the Cherries’ main threats. Iraola highlighted Gakpo’s defensive discipline, especially against the pace‑youthful Adrien Truffert, and called his all‑round performance "very important". When Gakpo is unavailable, Liverpool visibly lose their edge, as demonstrated by a goalless draw with Fulham where the Dutch forward was limited to the bench. Given his influence, it is astonishing that Liverpool considered selling Gakpo this summer.
Without his contributions, the team would lack both a reliable goal threat and a tireless workhorse on the flank. Meanwhile, Bournemouth entered the international break on a sour note, having failed to secure a win despite a recent European triumph over Real Sociedad.
The match against Leeds United at the Vitality Stadium was a low‑scoring affair, with the Cherries appearing the more likely side to take three points. However, injuries to key players like Justin Kluivert and a lack of rotation left them short‑changed in attack. Manager Marco Rose has made only two changes to his Premier League line‑ups this season – the fewest of any club – a strategy that is unsustainable when juggling domestic and European commitments. Rotation will be essential to keep the squad fresh and avoid a relegation battle later on.
At Fulham, Alvaro Arbeloa acknowledges that his side is improving after draws against Liverpool and Manchester United. After a third consecutive defeat to Crystal Palace early in September, concerns about a relegation fight resurfaced, but recent performances suggest a foundation to build upon.
Young striker Josh King has emerged as a bright spot, scoring twice in the first five games and demonstrating why he is highly regarded after progressing through the academy. New signing David Affengruber, acquired for £8.5 million from Elche, impressed on debut at centre‑back against Liverpool and appears to have temporarily displaced Joachim Andersen.
Gonzalo García, who arrived from Real Madrid, has struggled to find the net, managing only two shots on target from fifteen attempts. The next six weeks will be crucial for Arbeloa as he prepares for fixtures against the three newly‑promoted clubs when the season resumes. His ability to fine‑tune the squad during the international break could determine whether Fulham can climb out of the early‑season slump.
Crystal Palace arrived at Elland Road having conceded eleven goals in their opening four league games. They left the ground with a clean sheet, and a dominant second‑half display gave them the feeling they could have earned all three points. The performance was disciplined and spirited; after the interval Palace shifted their mindset, applying sustained pressure on Leeds United.
Leeds, on the other hand, appeared flat and disjointed. Dominic Calvert‑Lewin was left starved of service for long periods, and when chances did arise, Palace keeper Walter Benítez was ready to make the saves.
The 0‑0 result ultimately reflected two sides neutralising each other, but Palace can take far more encouragement from the display than Leeds can. For manager Pierre Sage, the defensive solidity shown by his team could serve as a cornerstone for a broader turnaround in form. Overall, the week delivered a mixture of chaos, brilliance and strategic introspection across the Premier League, illustrating how fine margins and individual performances continue to shape the narrative of the season.