Premier League Daily Report - 2026-09-20: Manchester City survive Sunderland thriller to move top

Manchester City beat Sunderland 5-3 at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday to preserve their perfect Premier League start. The victory moved Enzo Maresca’s side three points clear at the summit after Arsenal’s defeat by Brighton on Saturday. City’s attacking quality ultimately settled an eight-goal contest, although Sunderland repeatedly exposed weaknesses in a defence that had conceded only twice in the league before the match. Enzo Fernandez opened the scoring with his first City goal since his £125 million move from Chelsea, before Sunderland responded through Brian Brobbey and continued to threaten throughout the afternoon.

The result gave City five wins from five league matches under Maresca and extended their winning sequence in all competitions to seven games. The Brief reported that City were the only side across England’s top four divisions still holding a 100 per cent winning record. That record now comes with a qualification: Sunderland’s three goals showed that the leaders are not yet defensively secure. City nevertheless reached the international break in first place, with their immediate title rivals having already dropped points and the new manager’s start gathering considerable momentum.

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