Man City's thrilling yet disorderly 5-3 victory over Sunderland was a far cry from the tight, possession‑based football usually associated with Pep Guardiola's side. Enzo Maresca summed it up succinctly: "We wanted to dominate, but the opposition simply would not let us." The Black Cats made life difficult for the visitors, and City also failed to impose their usual discipline.
Before kickoff Maresca had warned that the challenge would be formidable, and his prediction proved accurate. "I knew they were strong, especially when they were off the ball – very aggressive," he said after the match, noting how Sunderland managed to terrorise the Etihad.
It was rare to see City surrender so much space on their home turf, concede so many chances, and allow three goals. Why did the reigning champions become so vulnerable? Brian Brobbey delivered a textbook display of hold‑up play, reminiscent of his performance against Arsenal a week earlier, but this time he combined his physicality with a hat‑trick of superb finishes.
Every time Brobbey out‑muscled Ruben Dias – which happened often – a pocket of space opened up for a teammate to exploit. He was quickly supported by Enzo Le Fee, while Nilson Angulo and Thomas Meunier surged forward from the flanks, creating an overload that repeated itself throughout the second half. Sunderland’s midfielders Elliot Anderson and Enzo Fernández struggled to cope with the relentless physical battles, especially when the visitors pressed man‑to‑man or stretched the play with longer balls.
City were out‑duelled in the majority of one‑on‑ones and were also out‑paced at times. Brobbey alone won ten of the twelve duels he entered and attracted a match‑high five fouls, proving impossible to contain.
Nevertheless, Maresca found a way to adapt. By matching Sunderland’s intensity for long stretches, City managed to exploit the opposition’s errors and net five goals. It was an imperfect, anti‑Pep approach, but it got the job done. As Laura Hunter observed, sometimes a flawed performance that yields results still deserves recognition.
In a separate storyline, Michael Carrick has been quietly deflecting criticism of Manchester United, a stark contrast to the noisy backlash the club has endured. After a derby defeat, a Carabao Cup collapse, and a point earned at the previously bottom‑placed Fulham, Carrick was asked about United’s joint‑worst start to a Premier League campaign.
He 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 illustrate how narrow the gaps can be. Despite these explanations, the accumulation of sub‑par displays is becoming a serious concern.
As Carrick himself admits, the positives are being outweighed by shortcomings in physicality, defensive organization, and ball retention during crucial moments. The gap to league‑leading City has already stretched to ten points, making a finish above third place look increasingly unrealistic.
Carrick remains defiant, insisting that "a big season is still ahead," but he acknowledges that a comprehensive overhaul – beyond tweaking details – is required for United to turn the tide, according to Peter Smith. Cody Gakpo has been Liverpool’s shining star this season, delivering a decisive contribution in every match he has started. From his opening‑week goal against Newcastle to a silky assist versus Nottingham Forest, and from dual assists in the Ipswich win to a goal and an assist against Tottenham in the Carabao Cup, his influence has been unmistakable.
His most impressive moment came in the 1‑0 victory over Bournemouth, where his determined run down the right and pinpoint cross set up Alexander Isak’s match‑winner. Liverpool manager Iraola praised Gakpo’s effort, noting that the difficulty of the goal lay in the creator’s work, even though Gakpo was not officially credited with the assist. Defensively, Gakpo also excelled at Bournemouth, winning more duels than any other player on the pitch and neutralising one of the Cherries’ primary threats. Iraola added that Gakpo’s defensive contributions were just as vital, especially when matched against a disciplined opponent like Adrien Truffert.
When Gakpo is unavailable, Liverpool’s potency diminishes, as seen in the goalless draw with Fulham where he was limited to the bench. Given his form, it is astonishing that the club considered selling him this summer; his absence would leave a massive void, writes Sam Blitz. Bournemouth, after a high‑profile European win over Real Sociedad, now head into the three‑week international break without a league victory.
Their recent loss at the Vitality Stadium highlighted a lack of cutting edge in attack, especially with Justin Kluivert sidelined and no tactical adjustments made since the midweek game. Manager Marco Rose has altered his starting line‑up only twice this season – the fewest of any Premier League side – a strategy that is unsustainable when juggling domestic and European commitments. Without rotation, the squad risks fatigue and a possible slide into a relegation battle, warns Patrick Rowe. Across the south‑west, Alvaro Arbeloa observes that Fulham are showing signs of improvement after draws with Liverpool and Manchester United.
Early‑season concerns grew after a third consecutive defeat to Crystal Palace, but the team now has a platform to build on during the break. Young academy graduate Josh King has emerged as a standout, netting two goals in five games and justifying the club’s faith in his development.
New signing David Affengruber impressed on debut at centre‑back against Liverpool, seemingly displacing Joachim Andersen for the moment. Meanwhile, Gonzalo García, who scored on opening day after his Real Madrid move, has struggled for accuracy, managing only two shots on target from fifteen attempts.
Arbeloa’s next six weeks are crucial; he now has extra time to fine‑tune his squad before the resumption of fixtures against the three promoted clubs. David Richardson believes this period could define Fulham’s season. 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.
Their second‑half performance was disciplined and energetic, applying sustained pressure on Leeds United. Leeds, on the other hand, appeared flat; Dominic Calvert‑Lewin was starved of service and, when chances did arise, Palace keeper Walter Benítez was ready to make the saves. The 0‑0 result reflected a stalemate, yet Palace can draw far more confidence from the display than Leeds can.
For manager Pierre Sage, such defensive solidity could become the foundation for a much‑needed turnaround, notes William Bitibiri. Play Super 6 for a chance to win £1 million!
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