Brobbey’s hat-trick was not enough. Sunderland lost 5-3 at the Etihad on Sunday, with five different Manchester City players on the scoresheet as Enzo Maresca’s side stayed top of the Premier League.
The Dutchman’s three goals put him alongside a rare and very specific group. According to Opta, he became the fourth player in Premier League history to score a hat-trick against the side sitting top of the table, following Robbie Fowler in 1998, Dirk Kuyt in 2011 and Romelu Lukaku in 2013.
He is also only the sixth player to score three in a Premier League defeat. The last was Roque Santa Cruz for Blackburn in 2007. And he is the first Sunderland player to score a top-flight hat-trick since Jermain Defoe against Swansea in January 2016.
“It’s really hard to lose”
Brobbey was picked out for interview after the final whistle. The scoreline had left him flat.
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“It’s hard being on the losing side when you’re scoring three goals. It’s really hard to lose,” he told reporters.
“It was up and down, up and down. Man City are a really good team with lots of quality, so yes, we tried, I think we played a really good game. We tried, it’s hard when you lose. We just need to keep going.”
How the match swung
Enzo Fernández whipped in a free-kick from a tight angle to put City ahead after nine minutes. Brobbey levelled three minutes later, running onto an Enzo Le Fée through-ball and finishing past Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Rayan Cherki restored the lead on 29 minutes and Brobbey pulled Sunderland back to 2-2 just after the half-hour with a tap-in at the back post. Antoine Semenyo’s first, in the 43rd minute, sent City into the break in front.
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Semenyo added his second on 57 minutes, only for Brobbey to complete his hat-trick two minutes later, turning in a Granit Xhaka delivery from close range.
The tie stayed at 4-3 until the 81st minute, when Erling Haaland turned home Joško Gvardiol’s low cross at the far post. The goal was initially chalked off for offside and awarded after a VAR review.
Haaland’s 25 out of 25
That late tap-in carried its own line for the record books. Haaland has now scored against every one of the 25 Premier League teams he has faced.
Maresca, in his first season after replacing Pep Guardiola, was not sold on the manner of the win.
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“I prefer to win 1-0, it’s much better!”
He praised Sunderland’s approach.
“Aggressive team, very good, but we found a way to win.”
Le Bris keeps his identity
Sunderland manager Régis Le Bris pushed back against the idea that a promoted side should have played more cautiously at the Etihad.
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“We didn’t compromise our identity. Every small mistake gets punished at that level,” he said.
Both sides now break for the September international window before returning to Premier League action.
