Man City's thrilling yet disorderly 5-3 victory over Sunderland was anything but the textbook possession football that Pep Guardiola's side is famed for. Enzo Maresca summed it up succinctly: "We aim to dominate, but the opposition simply won't let us." Sunderland made life difficult for the visitors, and City certainly did not make things easier for themselves. Before the match, Maresca had already warned that the task would be massive, and the game proved his concerns valid. "I was aware of how good they are, especially when they're not in possession – they are extremely aggressive," he said after the Black Cats caused havoc at the Etihad.
It was rare to see City surrender so much space on their home turf, concede a flood of chances, and even allow three goals against them. Why did City become so vulnerable? The answer lies partly in the performance of Brian Brobbey, who delivered another masterclass in hold‑up play, echoing his display against Arsenal the previous week. This time, however, he combined his physicality with a hat‑trick of impressive finishes.
Whenever Brobbey won a duel against Ruben Dias – and he did so repeatedly – he created room for teammates to exploit. Enzo Le Fee surged forward in waves of attack, while Nilson Angulo and Thomas Meunier quickly joined from the flanks. The result was a City side that constantly overloaded Sunderland's defence, a pattern that repeated throughout the match. Sunderland's midfielders, Elliot Anderson and Enzo Fernandez, struggled to cope with the physical battle, finding it impossible to match City’s man‑to‑man pressing and longer passes.
Statistically, City were out‑duelled and outrun in many areas. Brobbey alone won ten of the twelve contests he entered and drew the highest number of fouls in the game – five in total. He was untouchable, a clear winner in the physical tussle. Fortunately for Maresca, City managed to adapt and play to Sunderland's style for enough of the encounter to net five goals.
They capitalised on the opposition's errors, digging deep to secure a win the "anti‑Pep" way – imperfect but effective. That resilience should be recognised, even if the performance was far from polished.
In other Premier League news, Michael Carrick has been steadily deflecting criticism of Manchester United with a calm demeanor, especially after a recent derby defeat, a Carabao Cup collapse, and a point‑scraping draw at Fulham. When questioned about United's historically poor start, Carrick highlighted the fine margins that have defined their season: a long‑range strike at Everton, a controversially awarded City goal, a bizarre own goal at Fulham, and two shots that hit the woodwork. While his perspective is valid, the accumulation of sub‑par displays is becoming a serious concern.
United have been lacking physically, defensively, and in possession during crucial moments, allowing a ten‑point gap to open up between them and league leaders City. Carrick remains optimistic, insisting a "big season" still lies ahead, but substantial improvements across the board are essential if United hope to challenge for higher honors. Turning to Liverpool, Cody Gakpo has been a constant source of attacking spark this season. From his opening‑day goal against Newcastle to a silky assist versus Nottingham Forest, and two assists in the win over Ipswich, Gakpo has consistently delivered in the final third.
His most notable contribution came in the 1‑0 victory at Bournemouth, where his hard‑driven run down the right wing set up Alexander Isak's decisive strike. Liverpool manager Iraola praised Gakpo's effort, noting that the difficulty of the goal lay in Gakpo's work. Defensively, Gakpo also shone, winning more duels than any other player on the pitch and neutralising a key Bournemouth threat. When Gakpo is unavailable, Liverpool clearly miss his influence, as evidenced by the goalless draw with Fulham where he was limited to the bench.
The speculation over a potential summer sale of Gakpo now seems baffling given his integral role. Bournemouth, meanwhile, entered the international break without a win after a mixed weekend that saw a high‑profile European triumph over Real Sociedad followed by a league defeat. Their lack of cutting edge was evident at the Vitality Stadium, where injuries to key players like Justin Kluivert left them short on attacking options. Manager Marco Rose has made only two changes to his Premier League line‑ups this season – the fewest among all clubs – a strategy that may prove unsustainable as the campaign progresses.
Rotation will be vital to keep the squad fresh and avoid a relegation battle. Fulham's manager Alvaro Arbeloa observes that his side are improving, a sentiment backed by recent draws against Liverpool and Manchester United after a challenging start. Despite a third consecutive early‑season loss to Crystal Palace, Fulham have promising signs: academy graduate Josh King has already netted twice in five games, and new signing David Affengruber impressed on debut, seemingly displacing Joachim Andersen in the centre‑back role. However, Gonzalo Garcia, who scored on his debut after leaving Real Madrid, has struggled for form, managing only two shots on target from fifteen attempts.
The next six weeks will be crucial for Arbeloa as his squad faces the newly promoted clubs upon the league's return. Crystal Palace arrived at Elland Road after conceding eleven goals in their first four league fixtures. They left with a clean sheet after a disciplined second‑half display that left Leeds United frustrated.
Palace's defensive solidity, highlighted by goalkeeper Walter Benítez's crucial saves, gave them a platform to press and dominate the latter stages. Leeds, on the other hand, appeared flat and were unable to supply Dominic Calvert‑Lewin with meaningful chances. The goalless stalemate reflected two sides neutralising each other, but Palace can draw more confidence from the performance than Leeds can.
For manager Pierre Sage, this defensive resilience could be the foundation needed for a turnaround in fortunes. Overall, the Premier League continues to deliver a blend of chaos, brilliance, and tactical intrigue, with each team navigating its own set of challenges as the season unfolds.