Brian Brobbey scores hat-trick as Manchester City edge Sunderland in eight-goal Premier League thriller

Dutch-Ghanaian attacker Brian Brobbey delivered a sensational individual performance for Sunderland, scoring a hat-trick against Manchester City in a thrilling Premier League encounter at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

The Dutch striker was at the centre of the action as Sunderland went toe-to-toe with the reigning English giants in a high-scoring contest that eventually ended 5-3 in favour of Manchester City.

Brobbey announced himself early in the game after Manchester City had taken the lead through Enzo Fernández. The Sunderland forward responded in the 12th minute, finding the back of the net to restore parity and give his side belief against the hosts.

Manchester City regained their advantage through Rayan Cherki, but Brobbey refused to allow Sunderland to fall behind for long.

The Dutchman struck again in the 33rd minute, completing his brace and bringing Sunderland level at 2-2.

The hosts, however, responded strongly before the interval. Antoine Semenyo restored Manchester City’s lead in the 43rd minute, giving Pep Guardiola’s side a 3-2 advantage heading into the second half.

Semenyo then struck again in the 57th minute, extending City’s lead to 4-2 and putting Sunderland under significant pressure.

But Brobbey had other ideas.

Just two minutes after Semenyo’s second goal, the Sunderland striker completed his remarkable hat-trick, reducing the deficit to 4-3 in the 59th minute.

With that strike, Brobbey had scored all three of Sunderland’s goals and kept his team within touching distance of the hosts in a remarkable attacking battle.

Manchester City eventually managed to put the contest beyond Sunderland, with Erling Haaland scoring the final goal to complete a 5-3 victory for the home side.

Despite Sunderland’s defeat, Brobbey emerged as one of the standout performers of the encounter after producing a memorable display against one of the Premier League’s strongest sides.

His three goals also represented a remarkable contrast to the previous Premier League meeting between the two teams. Sunderland and Manchester City had played out a goalless draw on January 1, 2026, but this time the fixture produced eight goals, with Brobbey accounting for three of Sunderland’s efforts.

The hat-trick marks a significant moment for Brobbey, who showed composure and attacking quality throughout the encounter and repeatedly gave Manchester City problems at the Etihad Stadium.

Although his efforts were not enough to earn Sunderland a point, Brobbey’s performance ensured his name remained at the heart of one of the most entertaining Premier League matches of the campaign.