Man City survives eight-goal thriller against Sunderland, Man United rescues late draw

Man City survives eight-goal thriller against Sunderland, Man United rescues late draw JAMES ROBSON MANCHESTER, ENGLAND THE ASSOCIATED PRESS PUBLISHED 45 MINUTES AGO Open this photo in gallery: Manchester City's Antoine Semenyo reacts after scoring his team's third goal during their English Premier League match against Sunderland in Manchester, England on Sunday. DAVE THOMPSON/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS COMMENTS SHARE SAVE FOR LATER Listen to this article Learn more about audio Log in or create a free account to listen to this article. No Pep Guardiola. No problem. Not yet anyway for Manchester City after moving clear at the top of the Premier League on Sunday with a 5-3 win over Sunderland. New coach Enzo Maresca extended his perfect winning start to the season to five games and goes into the international break three points ahead of defending champion Arsenal in second place. But that doesn’t tell half the story of a chaotic match at the Etihad Stadium that saw City twice squander the lead and Sunderland striker Brian Brobbey outshine Erling Haaland with a hat trick. Eventually it was Haaland who ended the visitors’ brave fight with City’s fifth goal in the 81st minute. Manchester United left it even later to salvage a 1-1 draw at Fulham and avoid three straight defeats in all competitions. Matheus Cunha’s heavily deflected shot in the 89th earned Michael Carrick’s team a point at Craven Cottage. Alexander Isak scored his fourth goal of the season as Liverpool beat Bournemouth 1-0, and Leeds drew 0-0 with Crystal Palace. Perfect Enzo Maresca’s 100 per cent record continues after taking on arguably the most daunting task in soccer when stepping into Guardiola’s shoes over the summer. Charged with the responsibility of continuing City’s unprecedented era of success, which included six league titles and the Champions League among 17 major trophies, he has made the best possible start in terms of results. Open this photo in gallery: Enzo Maresca, manager of Manchester City, celebrates after his team's Premier League match against Sunderland at Etihad Stadium on Sunday in Manchester, England. MATT MCNULTY/GETTY IMAGES But City will likely have to tighten up defensively if it is to end a two-year title drought. “I would prefer to win 1-0 than 5-3,” Maresca said. “I’m always trying to see what we can do better. Two of the three goals that we concede, they have been too easy.” Sunderland repeatedly cut City open, scoring three goals and creating…