Erling Haaland finally found the net against Sunderland as Manchester City secured a thrilling 5-3 victory in the fifth week of the Premier League on Sunday, September 20, 2026.
The Norwegian striker was the eighth different goalscorer in an eight-goal encounter at the Etihad Stadium. While Manchester City had already taken control through goals from Enzo Fernandez, Rayan Cherki and an Antoine Semenyo brace, Sunderland fought back through Brian Brobbey’s hat-trick.
Haaland eventually added another goal in the 81st minute to restore Manchester City’s advantage.
The goal initially appeared to have been ruled out for offside. However, after a VAR review, the decision was overturned and Haaland was awarded the goal.
Beyond helping City secure all three points, the strike completed an unusual personal milestone for the striker.
Haaland Finally Breaks His Sunderland Drought
Before the match, Sunderland were the only Premier League club Haaland had faced with Manchester City without scoring against them.
That changed at the Etihad.
Haaland had previously played against Sunderland twice last season but failed to find the back of the net on both occasions. His goal in the 5-3 victory therefore completed a record that had been waiting to be finished.
Haaland has now scored against every one of the 25 clubs he has faced with Manchester City in the Premier League.
The milestone underlines the consistency of his scoring record since arriving in English football.
His goal against Sunderland also moved his Premier League career tally to 117 goals.
The Manchester City striker has continued to make an impact at the beginning of the 2026/2027 campaign, with five Premier League goals so far.
That tally puts Haaland at the top of the early Golden Boot race.
Haaland Leads the Early Golden Boot Race
Haaland’s latest goal also strengthened his position in the race for the Premier League Golden Boot.
The Norwegian has scored five times this season, keeping him at the top of the current scoring standings.
Liverpool striker Alexander Isak is currently behind him with four goals.
Isak added to his tally by scoring Liverpool’s winning goal against Bournemouth on Sunday evening.
The early scoring race remains close, but Haaland’s ability to score consistently continues to make him one of the central figures in Manchester City’s attacking setup.
His latest goal was particularly notable because it came against the only Premier League opponent he had previously failed to score against.
Brian Brobbey Makes Premier League History Despite Defeat
While Haaland completed his own milestone, Sunderland striker Brian Brobbey produced an extraordinary individual performance despite ending the match on the losing side.
Brobbey scored all three of Sunderland’s goals to register a hat-trick against Manchester City.
However, the three goals were not enough to prevent Sunderland from suffering a 5-3 defeat.
Brobbey’s performance also placed his name alongside several notable Premier League records.
He became the first player since Roque Santa Cruz, who scored three times for Blackburn against Wigan in December 2007, to register a Premier League hat-trick while still losing the match.
His achievement did not stop there.
Brobbey also became only the fourth player in Premier League history to score a hat-trick against a team that started the match at the top of the table.
The players who had previously achieved the feat were:
- Robbie Fowler
- Dirk Kuyt
- Romelu Lukaku
- Brian Brobbey
The Sunderland forward also became the first player since Jamie Vardy, six years ago, to score a Premier League hat-trick against Manchester City.
For Sunderland, the hat-trick was also significant because Brobbey became the first Sunderland player to score three goals in a top-flight match since Jermain Defoe achieved the feat around a decade ago.
Manchester City’s Eight-Goal Thriller
The match at the Etihad was one of the most entertaining games of the Premier League weekend.
Manchester City established their advantage through Enzo Fernandez, Rayan Cherki and two goals from Semenyo.
Sunderland refused to disappear from the contest, however, with Brobbey finding the net three times.
That left City needing another goal to secure the result, and Haaland eventually provided it in the 81st minute.
The final score of 5-3 reflected the attacking quality on display, while also highlighting how Sunderland were able to cause problems for the league leaders.
For Haaland, though, the most important moment was finally scoring against a club that had previously managed to keep him off the scoresheet.
Enzo Maresca Joins an Exclusive Group
Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca also reached an important milestone following the victory.
The win made him the sixth manager to lead a club to five consecutive victories in its opening five Premier League matches.
That places Maresca among a select group of managers who have enjoyed a perfect start to a Premier League campaign.
The previous managers to achieve five wins from their first five matches include:
- Carlo Ancelotti with Chelsea
- Pep Guardiola with Manchester City
- Craig Shakespeare with Leicester City
- Maurizio Sarri with Chelsea
- Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with Manchester United
Ancelotti and Guardiola went even further, winning their first six matches of those respective campaigns.
Maresca’s perfect five-match start has therefore added another notable chapter to Manchester City’s strong beginning to the 2026/2027 season.
Haaland Completes Another Milestone
Haaland’s goal against Sunderland was more than just another addition to Manchester City’s five-goal tally.
It completed a personal Premier League record that had remained unfinished after two previous meetings with Sunderland.
Now, every Premier League club Haaland has faced with Manchester City has conceded at least once to the Norwegian striker.
With 117 Premier League goals already to his name and five goals at the start of the current campaign, Haaland remains central to City’s attacking ambitions.
Meanwhile, Brobbey’s hat-trick provided Sunderland with an individual highlight despite the defeat, while Maresca continued his perfect start as Manchester City manager.
- The 5-3 result ultimately produced several milestones, but for Haaland, the headline moment was clear: Sunderland were finally added to his Premier League scoring list.
ALSO READ :
