Manchester City’s thrilling yet disorderly 5-3 victory over Sunderland was a far cry from the tight‑controlled style that Pep Guardiola’s side usually displays. Enzo Maresca summed it up succinctly: “We aim to dominate, but the opposition simply won’t let us.” The Black Cats made life difficult from the first whistle, and City, for their part, did not make things any easier for themselves. Before kickoff Maresca had already warned that Sunderland would be a formidable challenge. He was right – the team from the north‑east were aggressive off the ball, pressing high and refusing to give City any breathing space.
In fact, it was one of the rare occasions at the Etihad where the home side surrendered so much ground and allowed as many chances as they did, and conceding three goals at home is almost unheard of for a Guardiola‑led side. Why did City look so exposed?
The answer lies partly in the physical battle that unfolded. Brian Brobbey once again demonstrated why he is a master of hold‑up play, echoing his performance against Arsenal the week before. This time, however, he paired his strength with a hat‑trick of superb finishes.
Whenever Brobbey won a duel – and he beat Ruben Dias in the majority of his 12 contests – he created space for teammates to exploit. Enzo Le Fee surged forward in waves, while Nilson Angulo and Thomas Meunier made rapid runs from the flanks. The result was a City side that constantly overloaded the Sunderland defence, creating a pattern that repeated throughout the match. Sunderland’s midfielders, Elliot Anderson and Enzo Fernandez, struggled to cope with the physicality, especially when the visitors switched to a man‑to‑man press or stretched the play with longer balls.
Statistically, City were out‑duelled and out‑ran for large stretches. Brobbey alone won ten of his twelve duels and drew the highest number of fouls in the game – five in total – underscoring his dominance in the aerial and ground battles. He was a clear winner of the tug‑of‑war in the centre‑forward area.
Fortunately for Maresca, the English side managed to adapt to Sunderland’s style for enough of the match to net five goals. They capitalised on the visitors’ errors, digging deep to secure a win that, while imperfect, was undeniably effective.
In a sense, the performance highlighted an alternative blueprint – an “anti‑Pep” approach that relies on resilience and opportunism rather than textbook possession. In another corner of the league, Michael Carrick has been quietly deflecting criticism of Manchester United. After a series of disappointing results – a derby defeat, a Carabao Cup collapse, and a point earned at a club that had been fighting relegation – Carrick was asked about United’s joint‑worst start to a Premier League season.
He pointed to fine margins: a 25‑yard strike that hit the post at Everton, a controversially awarded City goal, a bizarre own‑goal at Fulham, and two more shots that struck the woodwork. While his calm analysis has merit, the accumulation of sub‑par displays is beginning to weigh heavily on the squad. Physically, defensively and in possession, United have been found wanting at crucial moments, and the 10‑point gap to league‑leading City is widening.
Carrick acknowledged that a “big season” still lies ahead, but stressed that a fundamental shift – beyond merely tweaking details – is required for United to mount a serious challenge. Across the north‑west, Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo has been a constant source of brilliance this campaign. In every match he has started, Gakpo has either scored or set up a goal. From his opening‑day strike against Newcastle to a silky assist versus Nottingham Forest, and from a double assist in the win over Ipswich to a goal and an assist in the Carabao Cup clash with Tottenham, his contributions have been prolific.
His most recent intervention came in the 1‑0 victory over Bournemouth, where his hard‑running cross from the right wing set up Alexander Isak’s decisive finish. Liverpool manager Iraola praised Gakpo’s work, noting that the “difficult part of the goal is from him,” even if the assist was not officially recorded. Defensively, Gakpo has also shone, winning more duels than any other player on the pitch at Bournemouth and nullifying a key threat from the Cherries. Iraola added that Gakpo’s defensive effort against a player like Adrien Truffert is invaluable.
When Gakpo is unavailable – as seen in the goalless draw with Fulham, where he was limited to the bench – Liverpool’s attacking rhythm noticeably suffers. Given his form, it is astonishing that Liverpool considered selling Gakpo this summer. His absence would leave a massive void in both attack and defence.
Meanwhile, Bournemouth’s season has been a roller‑coaster. After a historic European win over Real Sociedad, they returned to the Premier League only to suffer another defeat, this time at home to the Cherries before the international break. The match at the Vitality Stadium was tightly contested, but Bournemouth lacked the cutting edge in the final third, partly due to injuries such as Justin Kluivert’s absence and an unchanged line‑up from the previous midweek fixture.
Marco Rose has made only two alterations to his Premier League starting XI this term – 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 in the season. At Fulham, Alvaro Arbeloa observes steady improvement after draws with Liverpool and Manchester United. Early‑season concerns grew after a third straight defeat to Crystal Palace, but the team now has a platform to build on during the break.
Young striker Josh King has emerged as a bright spot, netting twice in five games, while new signing David Affengruber impressed on debut, seemingly dislodging Joachim Andersen from the starting centre‑back role. Veteran Gonzalo García, who arrived from Real Madrid, has struggled for accuracy, registering only two shots on target from fifteen attempts. Arbeloa’s next six weeks are crucial as he prepares for fixtures against the newly‑promoted clubs upon the league’s return.
Finally, Crystal Palace’s defensive resilience was on full display at Elland Road. After conceding eleven goals in their first four league games, they kept a clean sheet against Leeds United and, after a dominant second half, likely felt they deserved all three points. The Palace side emerged from the break with a renewed mindset, applying pressure and limiting Leeds’ chances.
Leeds, on the other hand, appeared flat; Dominic Calvert‑Lewin was starved of service, and when opportunities arose, goalkeeper Walter Benítez was ready to make the saves. The 0‑0 stalemate reflected two teams neutralising each other, but Palace can take more encouragement from the performance than Leeds. For manager Pierre‑Sébastien Mignot, this defensive solidity could become the foundation for a much‑needed turnaround.