Brian Brobbey scored a hat-trick for Sunderland but it was not enough to prevent a 5-3 defeat away to Manchester City on Saturday. The loss leaves Régis Le Bris's side 14th in the Premier League standings with four points from their opening four matches.
Enzo Fernández opened the scoring for the hosts after nine minutes, but Brobbey levelled three minutes later, finishing from an Enzo Le Fée pass. Rayan Cherki restored City's lead midway through the first half, only for Brobbey to equalise again, this time from Thomas Meunier's assist.
Antoine Semenyo struck twice either side of half-time to give the champions a commanding lead. Brobbey completed his treble just before the hour, converting Nilson Angulo's cross to make it 4-3 and set up a tense finale. Erling Haaland sealed the win for City with nine minutes remaining, a goal that came in the 81st minute.
Match details
Sunderland matched the league leaders for large periods, registering 17 shots to City's 16 and forcing four saves from Gianluigi Donnarumma. The visitors' defensive efforts were hampered by an early yellow card for Dayann Methalie. Le Bris made three changes in the second half, introducing Malick Fofana, Wilson Isidor and Trai Hume, as he continues to manage his squad.
The result means Sunderland have now conceded eight goals in their last two league games, following the 2-0 loss to Arsenal. They remain eight points behind Manchester City at the top of the table. The team's recent form now stands at two wins, one draw, and two losses from their last five games, a run they will need to improve upon in their upcoming fixtures.
Attention now turns to the next match at home to Brighton on 10 October. Brighton currently sit third, making it another significant test for Le Bris's squad as they look to improve their form.
Manager Régis Le Bris confirmed that Dayann Methalie's early booking came in the 10th minute of his Premier League debut. The club also confirmed that Habib Diarra and Romaine Mundle remain sidelined. Sunderland's 5-3 defeat means they have now scored six goals and conceded 10 this season, leaving them with a minus-four goal difference.
Manager Régis Le Bris confirmed that Brian Brobbey's hat-trick made him the sixth Sunderland player to score a Premier League treble. The club stated the achievement places Brobbey in a group of just five other Black Cats players. The 5-3 defeat leaves Sunderland 14th with four points from five games and a minus-four goal difference.
