Man City's thrilling yet disorderly 5-3 triumph over Sunderland was a far cry from the tight, possession‑based style usually linked with Pep Guardiola's side. Enzo Maresca summed it up succinctly: "We aim to dominate, but the opposition simply wouldn't let us." Sunderland made life difficult for the hosts, and City certainly did not make things any easier for themselves. Before kickoff Maresca had already warned that the task would be immense, and his prediction proved accurate.
"I was aware of how strong they are, especially off the ball – they are incredibly aggressive," he said after the Black Cats rattled the Etihad. It was rare to see City surrender so much space on their own turf, concede an abundance of chances, and concede three goals in a single home fixture. Why did the Citizens leave such gaps? The answer lies in the physicality and the tactical approach of Sunderland.
Brian Brobbey delivered another showcase of hold‑up play, reminiscent of his performance against Arsenal the week before, but this time he paired his strength with a hat‑trick of superb finishes. Each time Brobbey won his duel with Ruben Dias – and he did so frequently – a pocket of space opened up for his teammates. Enzo Le Fee surged forward in waves of attack, while Nilson Angulo and Thomas Meunier quickly arrived from the flanks, creating an overload that City repeated throughout the match.
Sunderland's midfielders Elliot Anderson and Enzo Fernández struggled to cope with the relentless man‑to‑man pressing and the longer ball that City tried to employ. The visitors were out‑duelled in the majority of contests and out‑run in the sprint battles. Brobbey alone won ten of his twelve duels and drew five fouls, the highest in the game, proving he was the focal point of the physical tussle. Nevertheless, Maresca praised his side for adapting to Sunderland's style for enough of the encounter to net five goals.
City capitalised on the opposition's mistakes, digging deep to secure a win in a manner that could be described as "anti‑Pep" – imperfect, perhaps, but undeniably effective. Laura Hunter noted that such resilience should also be valued. The article then shifted focus to Manchester United, where Michael Carrick has been quietly deflecting criticism despite a turbulent start to the season.
A derby loss, a Carabao Cup collapse and a point earned at a struggling Fulham side have left United with one of the joint‑worst starts in Premier League history. Carrick pointed to fine margins – a 25‑yard strike at Everton, a wrongly awarded City goal, a bizarre own goal at Fulham and two shots that hit the post – to explain the disappointment.
Yet the accumulation of sub‑par displays is beginning to weigh heavily. United have been physically outmatched, defensively vulnerable and lacking composure in possession during crucial moments, allowing a ten‑point gap to open up between them and league leaders City. Carrick remains optimistic, insisting "there's still a big season ahead," but acknowledges that a fundamental shift beyond mere tactical tweaks is required for any realistic chance of challenging for the title. Turning to Liverpool, Cody Gakpo has been a constant source of brilliance this season.
In every league match he has started, Gakpo has either scored or set up a goal. Highlights include a debut goal at Newcastle, a silky assist against Nottingham Forest, dual assists in a win over Ipswich, and a goal plus assist in the Carabao Cup victory over Tottenham.
His most impressive contribution came in the 1‑0 victory over Bournemouth, where his hard‑run down the right wing and pinpoint cross set up Alexander Isak's match‑winner. Liverpool manager Iraola praised Gakpo's work rate, noting that the goal’s difficulty lay in his effort, and lauded his defensive contributions – Gakpo won more duels than any other player on the pitch, effectively neutralising Bournemouth's main threats. When Gakpo is unavailable, Liverpool's performance drops noticeably, as seen in a goalless draw with Fulham where he was limited to the bench.
Critics had even floated the idea of selling him this summer, a notion that now seems absurd given his impact. The piece also covered Bournemouth's recent form. After a historic win in Europe against Real Sociedad, the Cherries returned to the Premier League only to lose to Leeds United, leaving them winless heading into the international break.
Injuries, such as Justin Kluivert's absence, and a lack of squad rotation have left manager Marco Rose with limited options. Rose has made only two changes to his starting XI this season – the fewest of any club – a strategy that is unsustainable when balancing domestic and European commitments. Without proper rotation, the risk of a relegation battle looms.
Fulham's manager Alvaro Arbeloa highlighted his team's gradual improvement, especially after draws against Liverpool and Manchester United. Despite a third consecutive defeat to Crystal Palace early in the campaign, Fulham have promising signs. Young striker Josh King has impressed with two goals in five games, and new signing David Affengruber has already made his mark in defence, challenging veteran Joachim Andersen for a starting spot.
However, Gonzalo García, who arrived from Real Madrid, has struggled to find the net, managing only two shots on target from fifteen attempts. Arbeloa now has a crucial six‑week window before the season resumes, during which he can fine‑tune his squad ahead of fixtures against the newly promoted clubs. Finally, the article recapped Crystal Palace's defensive resurgence at Elland Road.
After conceding eleven goals in their first four league games, Palace kept a clean sheet against Leeds United, showing a disciplined, high‑intensity performance in the second half that could have earned them all three points. Leeds appeared flat, with Dominic Calvert‑Lewin deprived of service and Palace keeper Walter Benítez making key saves. While the match ended 0‑0, Palace can draw significant confidence from the display, whereas Leeds will be left to ponder their lacklustre showing. Defensive coach Pierre Sage hopes this solidity becomes the foundation for a turnaround in Palace's fortunes.
Overall, the week offered a mixture of chaos, resilience and standout individual performances across the Premier League, underscoring the unpredictable nature of top‑flight football.