Manchester City secured a 4-1 victory against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, marking a second consecutive win for manager Enzo Maresca. The match saw doubles from Rayan Cherki and Erling Haaland.
Cherki, wearing the number 10 shirt, weaved through the Palace defence to score City’s second goal. Haaland had opened the scoring earlier in the first half with his first goal of the season. Following a free-kick from Yeremy Pino that rebounded off Gianluigi Donnarumma for an own goal, Cherki added his second, responding to Palace’s momentum with a deflected strike. Haaland sealed the win with his second goal late in the game.
Match Highlights and Key Moments
The game began with an exciting start for Palace under new boss Pierre Sage. However, City quickly asserted dominance. In the 17th minute, Haaland headed in the opening goal from Semenyo’s left-wing cross. City had further opportunities, with Phil Foden missing chances in the 21st and 28th minutes.
Palace also created chances, notably in the 35th minute when Adam Wharton’s cross found Tyrick Mitchell, whose header went wide. The second half saw a flurry of goals. In the 54th minute, Cherki collected a pass from Foden and scored with a delicate finish. Pino then curled a free-kick that struck the woodwork, rebounded off Donnarumma, and resulted in an own goal in the 56th minute. Just three minutes later, Cherki scored his second goal with a long-range effort that deflected off Chris Richards.
Haaland completed his brace in the 84th minute after Marc Guehi intercepted a pass and fed Foden, who set up the striker.
Manager and Player Reactions
Despite his two goals, Rayan Cherki expressed dissatisfaction with his performance, stating, “My performance was so-so. In the first half, we didn’t find the space. I played so ****.” He also mentioned his desire to provide more assists for Haaland in future games. Haaland interjected, telling Cherki, “Just say what you actually mean. You scored two top goals!”
Maresca praised Cherki, noting, “He’s helping us. He’s going to help us in the future. We know he’s a quality player, last game against Bournemouth with two assists, today with two goals.” Maresca also commented on Foden’s adaptation to a wider role, acknowledging it was a solution they were exploring.
Crystal Palace manager Pierre Sage expressed frustration with his team’s energy levels after substitutions. He stated, “I think we were able to play 60 or 65 minutes staying in the game but when I made the substitutions, the energy of the team went down, and I’m a little bit angry with that.” Sage also noted that Palace had many chances but found it difficult to score against City.
Squad News and Statistics
City’s new signing, Ayyoub Bouaddi, who joined from Lille on Wednesday, was included in the squad and took a spot on the bench. Maresca stressed the need for patience with the Moroccan midfielder due to his age and newness to the Premier League. Rúben Dias captained the team for City.
Haaland has scored in all five of his Premier League games against Crystal Palace, netting a total of eight goals in those matches. This record places him among players like Raheem Sterling and Mohamed Salah, who have scored in each of their first six games against a specific opponent. Crystal Palace remains without a win under new boss Sage, following an opening day 2-0 loss at Everton.
City’s starting XI included Donnarumma, Abdukodir Khusanov, Dias, Joško Gvardiol, O’Reilly, Elliot Anderson, Foden, Cherki, Semenyo, and Haaland. Palace’s lineup featured Dean Henderson, Khalaili, Canvot, Richards, Tomiyasu, Mitchell, Wharton, Kamada, Pino, Nketiah, and Strand Larsen. The match was played on Friday, 28 August 2026.
Source: skysports.com