Enzo Maresca's Man City prove they are the great entertainers in rout of Sunderland... but curious midfield make-up gives boss plenty to ponder, writes JACK GAUGHAN

Manchester City's high wire act was back by popular demand and Enzo Maresca's sigh of relief when Robert Jones called time suggested the ringmaster was briefly worried they might fall off.

But what is not to like about this new City? The great entertainers, the daring pressers who give up plenty in behind their midfield, will throw up more afternoons like this – as long as the opposition are as strong as Sunderland, whose striker Brian Brobbey became the first man to net a top-flight hat-trick and end up on the losing team since Roque Santa Cruz for Blackburn in 2007.

This was not what followers of Chelsea and Leicester City had predicted when Maresca took the reins. 

The talk of 'safe zones' and endless loops of sideways possession are so far removed from City's current reality that the detractors could well have been describing a different coach altogether.

Maresca has won five on the bounce at the start of his reign, capitalising on Arsenal's slip to go three clear, and if these sort of games continue, this team will become the country's hottest ticket.

Imagine it when they go to Anfield in three weeks' time, on the back of this eight-goal thriller. Potentially a fitting tribute to Klopp and Guardiola on its way. 'I prefer to win 1-0 than 5-3,' Maresca smiled. Those watching certainly do not. 

MARESCA'S MIDFIELD MUSINGS 

Maresca sounded philosophical late last week when discussing the likelihood of soon seeing the true best version of his City, claiming – perhaps somewhat cautiously – that they might be at around 40 per cent at the moment.

The Italian is barely three months into the job and given there are tweaks to the style with which City have been wedded for the past decade, the idea of requiring considerably more time to perfect the masterplan is understandable.

And when he pores over the first five league matches in his study over the international break, Maresca will doubtless pay particular attention to the make-up of the midfield. 

Going forward they are scary, only Brighton scoring more goals so far, but it was noticeable how much joy became available to the likes of Enzo Le Fee in the great expanse of vacant central areas.

Elliot Anderson wants to be everything to everyone, charging into areas to halt the opposition at source, but if he is to be allowed that freedom then Enzo Fernandez might need to operate slightly deeper. Too often Sunderland picked pockets – Noah Sadiki firing two warnings either side of Brobbey's second goal coming from exactly this problem.

The idea appeared to be for Fernandez and Anderson to press higher from their starting positions in a bid to squeeze the Black Cats. Captain Ruben Dias was tasked with filling that hole, following Brobbey, to tuck City into a back three.

Dias lost the individual battle with Brobbey though, the Dutchman too strong, too wily, just too good. City were easily turned around and effectively ceded far too many inviting opportunities against a team who should have taken something against Arsenal last week, and who left the Etihad Stadium having created an expected goals tally of more than four.

Maresca's man-to-man defending, following markers across the pitch, has its benefits and gives City so much going in the other direction. It can throw up some oddities too. 

Their second goal, Rayan Cherki's, came from tireless right winger Iliman Ndiaye turning over possession on the left of midfield, with Anderson pressing inside the box. The whole aesthetic of it just seemed a little askew but clearly this risk and reward style is paying serious dividends.

'The message is try to win the ball back as soon as possible,' Maresca said. 'To attack immediately. It was a nice goal because we won the ball and attacked immediately. Generally we can control things better, keeping the ball. We made mistakes.'

WING WIZARDS 

There can be no argument about City's business in the wide areas across the calendar year - and the weekend's fixtures were the perfect case study for that.

Semenyo's brace took him to 13 goals in all competitions since arriving from Bournemouth in January, initially a summer target but who City accelerated interest in, while Ndiaye's start to life at the Etihad Stadium could not have gone much better.

At £65m, and £20m cheaper than Savinho, Ndiaye could become a steal if his last two league displays are anything to go by. 

He manfully did a defensive job at Old Trafford last week while carrying that threat on the right to force Manchester United to think twice, with the remit against Sunderland slightly different and the way he glided past Dayann Methalie in the eighth minute – scythed down for a free kick that ultimately saw Fernandez cleverly open the scoring – showcased a more direct attitude than his predecessor in that spot.

Despite being heavily involved for Tottenham, Savinho – one league goal since 2024 - again struggled to impact proceedings in defeat by Aston Villa. 

Ndiaye should overtake the Brazilian's overall output at City of two league goals within weeks and his first for the club is only a matter of time.

HAALAND'S FULL HOUSE 

Erling Haaland completed the set of scoring against every Premier League team he's faced with the late goal awarded via VAR, who adjudged Josko Gvardiol was not offside in the build-up. The correct call, Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris was more vexed by Semenyo's strike moments before the break.

Le Bris felt Marc Guehi handled inside the box before Semenyo thundered underneath Robin Roefs.

'It looks like a handball,' Le Bris said. 'It's hard not to see it as handball. They don't explain, they just say yes or no.'