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Erling Haaland and Rayan Cherki scored twice each as Manchester City beat Crystal Palace 4-1 at Selhurst Park, with Phil Foden providing two assists. Palace’s only goal came via an own goal from City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. City have six points from two matches under Enzo Maresca; Palace are still without a point.
London, England: Palace started the better side and were four goals down before the end.
Eddie Nketiah and Daichi Kamada both threatened inside the opening two minutes, and the home side played with genuine intent early on. Elliot Anderson’s curling effort from the edge of the box was pushed away by Dean Henderson, and Haaland was denied a tap-in when Palace scrambled the loose ball clear.
None of it lasted.
Semenyo Crosses, Haaland Heads
The opener came in the 17th minute and was a study in economy. Antoine Semenyo delivered from the flank, Haaland met it, and the header looped into the top-left corner beyond Henderson’s reach.
City should have led by more at the interval. They went in one ahead having created enough for two or three.
Five Minutes That Finished It
Cherki settled the match either side of the hour.
He doubled the lead on 54 with an individual goal of some quality, cutting inside and finishing cleverly past Henderson. Two minutes later Palace had a lifeline of the strangest kind: Yeremy Pino’s free kick struck the crossbar, rebounded onto Donnarumma and went in, an own goal recorded against City’s goalkeeper.
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Whatever it did for Selhurst Park lasted three minutes. Cherki fizzed a second past Henderson in the 59th to restore the two-goal cushion, and the contest was over.
Haaland added the fourth in the 84th, running onto Foden’s pass and driving it through Henderson’s hands into the same corner he had found in the first half.
Guehi Comes Home
Marc Guehi’s return to Selhurst Park in a City shirt was one of the evening’s subplots, though he had a quiet night in a back line alongside Josko Gvardiol, Ruben Dias and Abdukodir Khusanov — Palace rarely tested Donnarumma properly, the own goal notwithstanding.
Chris Richards played the full ninety for Palace, and 18-year-old American Zavier Gozo came off the bench for a Premier League debut. City introduced Mateo Kovacic, Ayyoub Bouaddi and Ryan McAidoo late on.
Maresca Two From Two
Maresca called it a complete performance from Cherki afterwards.
City move to six points from two matches, having beaten Bournemouth 2-1 last weekend with goals in the 84th minute and the first of stoppage time. This was rather more comfortable. Newly promoted Coventry City visit the Etihad a week on Saturday.
Palace have lost both, following a 2-0 defeat at Everton, and remain without a point.
Score: Crystal Palace 1 (Gianluigi Donnarumma 56′ og) Manchester City 4 (Erling Haaland 17′, 84′, Rayan Cherki 54′, 59′)
Half-time: Crystal Palace 0-1 Manchester City
Venue: Selhurst Park, London
