City strike five in Sunderland classic to leave Arsenal trailing

Manchester City moved three points clear at the top of the Premier League with a wild 5-3 win over Sunderland at the Etihad Stadium on 20 September. BBC Sport called it the perfect 24 hours for City as they headed into the international break, that pause in the club season when players join up with their national teams.

Arsenal had lost 3-0 to Brighton on 19 September, the day before City played. City made them pay. The win took Maresca's side clear at the summit before domestic football stopped for a fortnight.

Enzo Maresca is the man in charge after replacing Pep Guardiola in the summer. He has now won his first five Premier League games as City boss. Only five managers had ever done that before with a club: Carlo Ancelotti, Craig Shakespeare, Maurizio Sarri, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Guardiola himself with City in 2016.

The Sunderland victory was City's seventh in a row in all competitions. That streak began after defeat to Arsenal in the Community Shield, the traditional August curtain-raiser, last month. City are now the only side in England's top four divisions, from the Premier League down to League Two, still holding a 100% winning record.

Antoine Semenyo was the difference on the day. He scored twice and made one more, with an assist meaning the final pass that sets up a goal. Enzo Fernandez added his first goal for the club. Erling Haaland was also on the scoresheet, and that strike means he has now scored against all 25 Premier League teams he has faced.

Sunderland refused to roll over. Striker Brian Brobbey scored three times, a hat-trick, and still finished on the losing side. He is only the sixth player in Premier League history to score a hat-trick and lose the match. The eight-goal afternoon also broke City's tight defensive start, after they had conceded only two goals in their first four league games before Sunderland arrived.

What makes this stand out is the early swing in the title race. Arsenal began the campaign as defending champions and, according to BBC Sport, heavy favourites to retain the title. City have turned that early pressure back on the London club with five wins from five.

For fans, this means October now carries extra weight. City travel to unbeaten Liverpool on 11 October straight after the break. Win there, and a fast start becomes something louder.