Enzo Maresca has hailed Ghanaian forward Antoine Semenyo's impact on Manchester City's perfect start to the new season.

The Ghana international registered his first two goals of the season as Man City shook off Sunderland's scare to triumph 5-3 at the Etihad on Sunday afternoon.

Before his brace against the Black Cats, Semenyo delivered important assists in victories over Crystal Palace and Coventry City.

“[He was] very important, but it’s not just because he scored two goals,” Maresca said in his post-match news conference.

“Also, when he didn’t score, he was good. Palace away, assist for Erling [Haaland] and at home [against Coventry] too. It’s not just about goals.

“For sure, in terms of wingers, at the end it’s the final product. Jeremy played the balls inside, and Iliman also played quite well.”

In the eight-goal thriller on Sunday, Dutch-Ghanaian forward Brian Brobbey netted a hat-trick for Sunderland, while Enzo Fernandez, Ryan Cherki and Erling Haaland were the other scorers for City.

“Yeah, if you’re winning at the end, you definitely enjoy it; if you lose, not so much,” said an excited Semenyo at the end of the match.

“We held on together as a team and we got the three points. It’s definitely an enjoyable watch. We’re just happy we got the three points at the end of the day.

“It’s been good so far. We don’t want to get too complacent. International break now, so everyone will recharge and go to their games. We will come back from the international break and go again.”

Semenyo is expected to arrive in Ghana on Wednesday for the upcoming AFCON qualifiers against Ivory Coast and Gambia, as well as the international friendly with Morocco.