RECORD buy Paulo Wanchope repaid a huge slice of his £3.65m transfer from West Ham with a superb hat-trick which gave Manchester City their first Premiership victory of the season at Maine Road.

It looked as though Sunderland might have salvaged a point with a dramatic second-half fight-back when Niall Quinn and Kevin Phillips scored in the space of three minutes to level the scores.

But Wanchope, who'd given City a third minute lead, struck again to put City in front again in the 78th minute and claimed his third two minutes from the end.

Wanchope might have stolen the headlines, but City owed a lot to their free-transfer signing, George Weah for a superb performance, laying on the first three goals.

Sunderland could have no complaints. After a disappointing first half they made a spirited revival after the break, but could not cope with Wanchope's finishing power.

The Sunderland defence was split when a through-ball from Mark Kennedy sent George Weah clear down the left and the Liberian centred to Wanchope at the far post and the former West Ham striker was able to turn and hammer his shot high into the roof of the net.

City might have gone further ahead two minutes later when Spencer Prior got up high to a long free-kick by Kennedy, only to see his header cleared off the line by Stanislav Varga.

Sunderland, however, had a half chance as they surged forward but Kevin Kilbane hit a tame shot straight at the keeper instead of squaring the ball to the unmarked Kevin Phillips near the penalty spot.

Referee David Elleray spoke to City midfielder Alf Inge Haaland after a scything tackle left Phillips needing treatment.

Kennedy was causing trouble on the left flank and he sent in a dangerous curling cross in the 14th minute for Weah to glance narrowly wide from eight yards with no-one challenging.

Phillips was coming in for some rought treatment and when he was sent sprawling by Kevin Horlock in the centre circle referee Elleray contented himself with another lecture for the offender.

Varga won applause for a fine interception to rob Weah, but after a promising run upfield the big defender totally misjudged his long pass forward.

Prior upended Kilbane on the right and Mr Elleray finally reached into his pocket for the yellow card, but the free-kick brought no joy for Sunderland as it sailed wide.

City claimed a second goal in the 23rd minute and again Weah was the instigator, cutting a ball across from the right for Haaland to force home his shot from close range.

The City fans made no attempt to hide their delight and certainly their favourites had been the more enterprising side early on as Sunderland struggled to find any cohension.

Phillips, in particular, was finding space hard to find and as he tried to latch on to a pass down from Quinn in the 27th minute he found the ball whipped off his toes.

A pass by Don Hutchison, making his debut for Sunderland, was then intercepted by Horlock and Macho had to hold his 25-yard left foot shot on the line as the home pressure continued.

Sunderland's first real attempt at goal came in the 39th minute when Haarland fouled Paul Thirlwell just outside the box. Varga cleverly switched the ball to Michael Gray on the left and from his centre Niall Quinn had a right-foot angled volley blocked by Prior.

City, however, were soon back on the offensive and should have claimed a third goal in the 42nd minute when Kennedy centred perfectly from the left only for Wanchope to somehow force his shot wide from only three yards out as he was challenged by Varga.

Sunderland made a change after the break, bringing on French midfielder Eric Roy in place of Thirlwell, who had struggled in the first 45 minutes.

City got a free-kick 25 yards out and after former Newcastle central defender Steve Howey headed over in the 48th minute Sunderland made a surprise substitution, with Steve Bould replacing Varga.

Gray was doing his best to kick-start the Sunderland attack and he lifted over a lovely cross-field ball to Phillips, but the striker's first touch let him down. Phillips, however, almost redeemed himself when Sunderland forced a corner on the right in the 55th minute and he put an overhead kick over the bar.

From another Gray cross, Quinn saw his dipping ten-yard header end up on the roof of the net in the 57th minute. But City hit back and Wanchope was threatening to break through the middle when he was brought down heavily from behind by Holloway, who was booked.

Sunderland were showing more aggression and deservedly pulled a goal back in the 64th minute through Quinn. Chris Makin sent in a raking centre from the right and the Republic of Ireland international rose high to direct a superb header past Nick Weaver for his second goal of the season.

And Sunderland equalised in dramatic style three minutes later through Phillips.

Kilbane's first centre was blocked, but he chipped the ball up again and Phillips had time to chest the ball down before hammering a great right foot shot into the top right hand corner of the net.

Sunderland went close to a third in then 75th minute when Weaver raced from his goal to fly-kick the ball away fro m the feet of Kilbane.

But City regained the lead in the 78th minute when Weah squeezed a return pass through to Wanchope, who poked a low shot past Macho.

Two minutes from time Wanchope collected a ball from Haaland and beat the advancing keeper for his hat-trick