Brian Brobbey produced a world-class performance for Sunderland as they engaged Manchester City in an eight-goal thriller, losing 5-3 at the Etihad Stadium.
The Netherlands international scored a hat-trick to cap off a brilliant centre-forward showing, earning widespread praise for his performance.
Brobbey was the standout performer in the game, as he became the first player to score a top-flight treble for the Black Cats since 2016.
The Dutchman's performance against the Cityzens comes just a week after a similarly impressive outing against champions Arsenal, and he was the subject of fan admiration on social media.
Brian Brobbey Nets Hat-Trick in Disappointing Defeat for Sunderland
Brobbey enjoyed his best performance of the season thus far on his fifth league start, as he opened his account for the 2026-27 campaign.
The 24-year-old striker had failed to score in any of his four previous starts for the Black Cats this season, but was a handful against Arsenal last week.
Regis Le Bris stuck with him in the starting XI for the trip to the Etihad, and it proved to be a masterstroke from the French tactician.
The Black Cats went behind to a cheeky free-kick from Enzo Fernandez, who scored his first goal for City with just nine minutes on the clock.
Brobbey responded with a smart finish just three minutes later, guiding the ball beyond Gianluigi Donnarumma with the outside of his boot.
Rayan Cherki restored City's lead, but Brobbey netted his second of the game on 33 minutes with another finish from inside the box.
Antoine Semenyo scored a third for the home side before Brobbey struck the woodwork via a deflection in first-half stoppage time.
Semenyo added a fourth in the 57th minute, only for Brobbey to complete his hat-trick with a finish from close range two minutes later.
Erling Haaland joined in the action in the closing stages, sliding home a cross from Josko Gvardiol from close range to ensure that his side maintained their 100% record heading into the international break.
Brobbey grabbed the headlines for how he performed for his side, leading the line and scoring a hat-trick against one of the favourites for the league title.
He became the first player since Romelu Lukaku in 2013 to score thrice in a game against a side atop the league standings.
The former Ajax striker registered more shots (five) than any other player in the game and created one chance for a teammate.
He completed both of his attempted dribbles and won six of seven ground duels, as well as four of five aerial duels in a remarkable show of physical competence.
| BRIAN BROBBEY VS MANCHESTER CITY | STATISTIC |
| Minutes played | 90 |
| Touches | 36 |
| Passes completed | 15/18 (83%) |
| Shot accuracy | 4/5 (80%) |
| Ground duels won | 6/7 (86%) |
| Aerial duels won | 4/5 (80%) |
| Goals | 3 |
Fans Liken Brobbey to Premier League Greats
Brobbey has long been considered a throwback striker due to his physical prowess and ability to engage in and win duels against the best defenders around.
His former RB Leipzig boss Julian Nagelsmann once compared Brobbey to former Chelsea and Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku, with whom he shares a similar build and style of play (via Stadium Astro):
"In regards to his physique and the way he plays, he is similar to Romelu Lukaku. And we would be happy if he can manage to become a player with the same qualities."
Scoring a hat-trick to go with his dominant physical showing earned him automatic comparisons to some of the great Premier League strikers of previous years.
One fan pointed him out as being a target man to be reckoned with. “FORMIDABLE MODERN TARGET MAN."
Another fan lauded former Ajax boss Erik ten Hag for identifying the talent of the youngster, as they likened him to Romelu Lukaku. "Lowkey jealous of this Brobbey guy, could have been a positive from Ten Hag who identified him. He's built like Lukaku but can actually play football."
A fan compared him to Chelsea legend Didier Drogba, naming him as the strongest striker they have seen since. "Brobbey is probably the strongest striker I have seen since Drogba."
Another fan shared a similar view and included another ex-Chelsea star Diego Costa in the conversation. "Brian Brobbey is the last of the dying breeds of the Drogba/ Diego Costa prototype strikers."
Brobbey managed seven goals across 31 Premier League appearances for Sunderland last season, following a move from Ajax.
The Netherlands international nearly matched half of that tally in a single game, and will look to build on it after the international break.
