CITY SURVIVE, BROBBEY ARRIVES
Eight goals at the Etihad, Brobbey’s breakout hat-trick, Brighton make a statement, Spurs hit trouble, plus our first FPL prize winner.
THE RESULTS
GAME OF THE WEEK: MANCHESTER CITY 5-3 SUNDERLAND
WHAT HAPPENED:
Manchester City took the lead through Enzo Fernández, but Sunderland quickly responded through Brian Brobbey. City went ahead again through Rayan Cherki, only for Brobbey to equalize for a second time.
Antoine Semenyo restored City’s lead before halftime and added another after the break, but Sunderland refused to go away. Brobbey completed his hat-trick in the 59th minute to make it 4-3 and suddenly City were hanging on.
Sunderland kept pushing and came close to an equalizer, but Erling Haaland finally settled it in the 81st minute. City escaped with a 5-3 win after one of the wildest games of the season.
WHY WE CHOSE IT:
There were some great games to choose from this weekend, with Brentford and Brighton both deserving honorable mentions. But eight goals at the Etihad made this one impossible to ignore.
What made it even better was Sunderland’s approach. They went to Manchester City and attacked. No sitting back. No parking the bus. They had more shots, scored three times and kept coming back every time City looked like they were taking control.
Sunderland may have lost, but they pushed City all the way. Goals, comebacks and a brilliant attacking performance from the visitors. This one had everything.
TURNING POINT:
Brian Brobbey completes his hat-trick.
His third goal in the 59th minute made it 4-3 and suddenly Sunderland had a real chance of completing an incredible comeback.
They kept pushing. Rúben Dias cleared one effort off the line and Dan Ballard hit the post, but City survived. Then, with nine minutes left, Jérémy Doku found Joško Gvardiol, who picked out Haaland at the far post. The striker made no mistake from close range and finally gave City some breathing room.
BOT90 VERDICT:
Sunderland may have lost, but they earned plenty of respect.
Going to the Etihad and attacking Manchester City takes courage. Brobbey’s hat-trick was outstanding, Sunderland created chances and they never stopped fighting. But City showed why they are so difficult to beat. Every time Sunderland got close, they found another gear.
Final verdict: City showed why they are so difficult to beat, but Sunderland showed why nobody should underestimate them.
PLAYER OF THE WEEKEND: BRIAN BROBBEY - SUNDERLAND
WHAT HE DID:
Brian Brobbey is our Player of the Weekend after scoring an excellent hat-trick against Manchester City at the Etihad. We rated him highly after his World Cup with the Netherlands and even have him in our Fantasy team, but he had been pretty quiet in the Premier League so far this season. That all changed against City.
Brobbey scored all three of Sunderland’s goals and kept dragging them back into the game every time City looked like pulling away. Unfortunately for us, he did all of that from our Fantasy bench.
WHY HE STOOD OUT:
The hat-trick will grab the headlines, but Brobbey’s movement was just as impressive. He constantly found space, made smart runs and seemed to be in the right place at the right time, giving City’s defenders problems throughout the game.
His three goals showed different parts of his game too. He finished calmly after being played through the defense, reacted quickly to a dangerous ball across the box and was exactly where a striker needed to be to finish his third from close range.
WHAT’S NEXT?:
Brobbey’s first Premier League goals couldn’t have come at a better time. After a quiet start to the season, a hat-trick at the Etihad should give him plenty of confidence.
With some more manageable opponents coming up, Brobbey now has a real chance to build on this performance and establish himself as one of Sunderland’s biggest attacking threats.
BOT90 SAYS:
We’ve had Brobbey in our Fantasy team because we believe in his ability, and this performance showed exactly why.
The hat-trick will grab the headlines, but his movement and positioning were just as impressive. If this is the Brobbey Sunderland are going to get going forward, those first Premier League goals could be the start of something.
Our only regret? Leaving him on the bench.
3 THINGS WE LEARNED
BRIGHTON ARE GENUINE TOP-FOUR CONTENDERS
Brighton’s 3-0 demolition of Arsenal suggests their ambitions could stretch beyond a top-six finish. The Seagulls overwhelmed the champions with their pressing, intensity and speed in transition, and now sit third in the table. The challenge will be balancing that form with a Conference League campaign and the extra demands that come with it. Can Brighton keep flying high on both fronts, or will Europe eventually catch up with them?
SPURS ARE IN SERIOUS TROUBLE
The 3-2 scoreline against Aston Villa flattered Spurs. Before their two late goals, Spurs had gone more than four league games without scoring, and two points from five games with a minus-six goal difference leaves them at the bottom of the table. This is starting to look like more than an early-season wobble, with Spurs lacking confidence, attacking cohesion and a clear identity under Roberto De Zerbi. With the international break approaching, will De Zerbi still be in charge when the Premier League returns?
BRENTFORD ARE BUILDING SOMETHING SPECIAL
Brentford’s 3-0 win over Chelsea means they have now dismantled two traditional “big six” sides by the same scoreline this season. Their recruitment continues to pay off, with Mamadou Sangaré strengthening the midfield and Jaidon Anthony already making an impact, while their familiar strengths from set pieces and counterattacks remain. The difference is that Brentford now look increasingly comfortable controlling games too. Can Brentford’s Moneyball approach take them all the way into Europe?
BOT90 PREDICTION CHECK
Tottenham 2–3 Aston Villa
Our Pick: Tottenham 2-1
We expected a thriller, but not quite like this. Villa raced into a 3-0 lead before Spurs made things interesting with two late goals. Had we known Manzambi was fit, we might have reconsidered our Spurs win. Five goals, plenty of drama, but Villa left us with egg on our faces.
Verdict: Right drama. Wrong winner.
Fulham 1-1 Manchester United
Our Pick: Fulham 1-1
Now that's more like it. We called the draw and even nailed the exact scoreline. Nothing to argue about here. We'll happily take this one.
Verdict: Perfect prediction. No VAR needed.
FROM THE MANAGERS:
MITCH’S TAKE
Manchester United are running out of patience
Manchester United’s start to the season is becoming a real concern. Five points from five games isn’t what anyone expected, especially given the amount of money they’ve spent. I like Carrick and think he deserves time, but this is Manchester United. They’ve spent heavily, added quality and have plenty of attacking talent, yet they still don’t look like a team that knows how to win games.
Hot take: Carrick needs results soon, or he could be out of a job as patience at Manchester United can disappear quickly.
DAN’S TAKE
Arsenal or Manchester City?
Arsenal were my pick before the season. City had a new manager, a new system and plenty of change to navigate, but five games in, they’ve won all five while Arsenal have just been beaten 3-0 by Brighton. I’m not changing my prediction yet. Arsenal are the defending champions, they’ve strengthened their squad and one bad afternoon doesn’t erase everything they’ve built.
My call: I’m still backing Arsenal to win the Premier League.
Who are you taking: Arsenal or Manchester City?
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OUR SEPTEMBER FPL PRIZE WINNER!
The final whistle has blown on our first Bottom of the 90 FPL competition. Congratulations to
SZOBO BALLON D’OR FC
As the highest placed U.S. manager in our Bottom of the 90 Fantasy Premier League, you've won an official Premier League club jersey of your choice, up to $150 retail value.
IS THIS YOUR TEAM?
The manager wants a word.
It’s time to report to the manager’s office. Don’t worry, you’re not in trouble there’s a Premier League jersey with your name on it.
Email [email protected] with your FPL team name and manager name to claim your prize. We’ll verify your entry and U.S. residency before getting your jersey sorted.
Congratulations to our September winner,
and thanks to everyone who joined the BOT90 FPL league.
Think you can take the next prize?
Game on!
