Manchester City head into the international break in a jubilant mood after enjoying the perfect 24 hours this weekend. City saw champions Arsenal thumped 3-0 by Brighton on Saturday and they capitalised the following day by beating Sunderland 5-3 in a thriller at Etihad Stadium. Manager Enzo Maresca said before Sunday's game this was his side's "toughest" test of the season so far, but the end result cements an ideal start to his role at City, where he faced the unenviable task of replacing Pep Guardiola in the summer.
The knives were being sharpened on Maresca after a Community Shield humbling by Mikel Arteta's Gunners in August but City have responded in superb fashion with seven straight victories in all competitions. "To be honest, I prefer to win 1-0 than 5-3 but I expected a very difficult game," said Maresca. "I knew how they good are, off the ball very aggressive and on the ball they have different weapons, set-pieces and [Brian] Brobbey.
"I know it was a difficult game but [I'm] happy because we found a way to win the game and the good thing also is that these seven official games we played, they are all different, we experienced different things. "In the last one with 10 men and today was a complicated one - the Bournemouth one we were losing 1-0 so also a chance to learn from the game." Hat-trick hero Brobbey on losing side - player ratings for Man City v Sunderland Man City battle past Sunderland in eight-goal thriller Arsenal's stunning loss on the south coast opened the door for City and they took full advantage. They are the only side in England's top four divisions with a 100% winning record intact, going three points clear at the top of the Premier League.
Such has been the brilliant start that Maresca becomes only the sixth Premier League manager to win his first five games in charge at a club after Carlo Ancelotti, Craig Shakespeare, Maurizio Sarri and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Predecessor Guardiola when he took over at City in 2016. On the pitch there were plenty of positives to take too, including the return to form of Antoine Semenyo with two goals and an assist, Rayan Cherki's delightful performance and Enzo Fernandez scoring his first goal for the club.
Meanwhile, striker Erling Haaland's late effort means the Norwegian ticked off Sunderland from his scoring list - he has now netted against all 25 Premier League teams he has faced. It means City have put pressure on Arsenal in the early stages of the campaign, with the Gunners previously being tipped as heavy favourites to retain their crown. City, though, will undergo a stern examination upon their return to action after the three-week international hiatus, facing a trip to unbeaten Liverpool on Sunday, 11 October.
Former Reds midfielder Charlie Adam described it as a "brilliant start to the season" for City, adding on BBC Radio 5 Live: "A lot to work on but [positive] to score five goals at home and have shown that level of performance. "With Arsenal losing on Saturday, [City] could have gone into the break top of the table and they have done that today." Before facing the Black Cats, City had only conceded two goals in their first four Premier League games. On Sunday, they ended up shipping three in 90 minutes and the way the side lost control will be of some concern to Maresca.
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