A perfect start or an early warning? 24 hours that sparked the big shift in the Premier League
Arsenal's fall and Manchester City's celebration
Manchester City needed no more than 24 hours to turn Arsenal's stumble into a golden opportunity and send a clear message to their rivals in the Premier League title race. The reigning champions had just suffered a heavy blow, a 3-0 defeat to Brighton, and Enzo Maresca's side pounced. They followed up with a thrilling 5-3 win over Sunderland, a match that carried plenty of positives while exposing some points that need addressing.
City entered the international break in high spirits, having made the most of Arsenal's slip and continued their perfect start to the season. The shape of the race for the top of the Premier League has begun to form early.
It all began on Saturday when Arsenal lost heavily to Brighton by three goals to none. The result opened the door for City to go clear at the top of the table.
Maresca's side knew exactly what beating Sunderland meant: three points clear at the summit. They managed it, though the match was anything but easy.
Before kick-off, Maresca had described the Sunderland clash as the "hardest" test his side had faced this season. The opponent could press hard when losing the ball, boasted a variety of attacking weapons and set-pieces, and had striker Brian Brobbey in their ranks.
Difficult as it was, City came away with a thrilling victory. They maintained their perfect record and secured a seventh consecutive win in all competitions.
Maresca continues to write the perfect start
The win over Sunderland marks an important milestone in Maresca's journey with Manchester City. The manager faced strong criticism after the defeat to Arsenal in the Community Shield last August.
His side responded quickly on the pitch. Seven consecutive wins across various competitions confirmed that the difficult start was nothing more than a passing phase.
Maresca said afterwards that he would have preferred to win 1-0 rather than 5-3, but he had also expected an extremely difficult encounter.
He explained: "I knew how strong they are; they play with great ferocity when they lose the ball, and they have varied weapons in possession, such as set-pieces and the presence of Brobbey."
The seven official matches his side had played, he added, were all different from one another. That gave the players varied experiences to draw upon in the future.
City had gone through numerous situations during this period, Maresca noted. From playing with ten men in one match, through the complicated encounter against Sunderland, to falling behind 1-0 against Bournemouth before turning the result around, all these scenarios represent opportunities to learn and develop.
City impose themselves at the top of the league
The win over Sunderland was not just three new points. It gave Manchester City the chance to go three points clear at the top of the Premier League ahead of Arsenal, and made them the only team among England's top four divisions to maintain a full 100% win record.
Maresca also strengthened his place in the Premier League records. He became the sixth manager to win his first five matches with his club, joining a list that includes prominent names such as Carlo Ancelotti, Craig Shakespeare, Maurizio Sarri and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
That same list includes Pep Guardiola, Manchester City's former manager, when he began his role with the side in 2016, according to "BBC Sport" .
On the pitch, a set of positive indicators emerged. Most notably, Antoine Semenyo shone with two goals and an assist, Rayan Cherki delivered a striking performance, and Enzo Fernández scored his first goal for the club.
As for Erling Haaland, he continued to write his own numbers. His fifth goal against Sunderland added the side to his list of victims in the Premier League, meaning he has now scored against all 25 teams he has faced in the competition.
A big win but Maresca does not feel reassured
Despite the joy of victory and top spot, the result carried another aspect that cannot be ignored. Manchester City had conceded only two goals in their first four Premier League matches. Then their net was shaken three times against Sunderland in 90 minutes.
Brian Brobbey caused City's defence constant trouble and scored three goals. His hat-trick came despite his team's loss, making him only the sixth player in Premier League history to score three in a single match and still end up on the losing side.
These were not fleeting goals either. Sunderland could have scored more, with their expected goals figure reaching 4.25, the highest for a visiting team in the history of the Etihad Stadium in Premier League competition.
Here the signs of concern appeared for Maresca, who stressed the need to improve some defensive details. The manager said: "I am always concerned, and I constantly try to find out what we can improve. Certainly, conceding two of the three goals was far too easy."
Granit Xhaka's quick free-kick led to the second goal, a moment Maresca felt his side should not have allowed. The third came from another free-kick in almost the same manner.
Charlie Adam praised the start but sounded a warning. The former Liverpool midfielder believes Manchester City still need to develop some aspects if they want to maintain this level throughout the season.
Scoring five at home and delivering this level of performance are both very positive, Adam said, especially as the side capitalised on Arsenal's loss and entered the break at the top of the table.
City cannot play a full season the way they played against Sunderland, he pointed out. The side need greater ability to control spaces during certain periods of matches.
Constant reliance on man-marking and chasing the opponent's players everywhere could leave dangerous spaces, he explained, something clearly evident during the last match.
The Liverpool test: the first real examination after the break
City celebrate their perfect start, but a heavyweight encounter awaits after the three-week international break. The side will visit Liverpool on Sunday 11 October, an encounter that will give Maresca a new test of his team's ability to deal with big matches and constant pressure.
If the Sunderland match revealed City's great attacking power, then the Liverpool encounter will show how capable they are of controlling the run of play against a strong and organised opponent.
Between the positives and the warnings, Manchester City can look at the international break from a strong position on the table, having capitalised on Arsenal's slip in the best possible manner.
It was a perfect 24 hours by any measure. Arsenal fell, City won, their attack kept shining, Haaland added a new victim to his list, and Maresca achieved a historic start.
The most important message from the Etihad may be a different one. Top spot has been won, but keeping it requires greater control, higher defensive solidity, and the ability to manage difficult matches without letting the opponent back into the mix.
So City head to the break at the summit. They know well that the real test awaits as soon as they return.
