Manchester City continued their perfect start to the Premier League season with a convincing 4-1 victory over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, as Rayan Cherki’s quickfire second-half double helped spoil Pierre Sage’s welcome party in south London.
Erling Haaland also struck twice, including the opening goal and a late insurance goal, as City secured two wins from two matches under new manager Enzo Maresca.
Haaland wore a black armband in tribute to the late Norwegian King Harald V, whose death was announced earlier Friday. The striker marked the occasion with City’s opening goal in the 17th minute.
After a lively opening period, City gradually took control. Elliot Anderson forced Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson into a diving save, while Jorgen Strand Larsen produced an alert clearance to prevent Haaland from scoring during a scramble in the box.
Haaland would not be denied for long. The Norwegian rose to meet Antoine Semenyo’s cross and sent a looping header beyond Henderson to give City the lead.
Palace had opportunities to respond before halftime. Adam Wharton picked out Tyrick Mitchell with a dangerous cross, but the defender headed wide from an excellent position. Eddie Nketiah also fired wide after being played in by Wharton, while Daichi Kamada saw an effort blocked.
England manager Thomas Tuchel was among those watching from the stands as Palace searched for an equalizer. Instead, Cherki changed the game.
The French midfielder, who had started on the bench in City’s opening-day victory over Bournemouth, took advantage of poor organization in the Palace defense in the 54th minute. After displaying excellent footwork, Cherki slipped his finish beyond Henderson to double City’s advantage.
Palace immediately responded. Two minutes later, Yeremy Pino delivered an outstanding free kick that struck the post before rebounding off Donnarumma’s back and crossing the goal line. The bizarre own goal gave the hosts renewed hope at 2-1.
That hope lasted only three minutes. Cherki struck again, with his effort taking a slight deflection off Chris Richards before finding the bottom corner and restoring City’s two-goal cushion.
The double highlighted Cherki’s growing influence since joining City. He has now recorded 20 Premier League goal contributions since arriving at the club before the beginning of last season.
Palace briefly found themselves short-handed late in the match when referee Andrew Madley enforced the Premier League’s new 10-second substitution rule, temporarily delaying Oscar Mingueza’s league debut. The hosts soon returned to full strength.
With six minutes remaining, Haaland put the result beyond doubt. The striker lifted the ball over Henderson to score his second of the night and complete a 4-1 victory for City.
The result gives Maresca two Premier League wins from his first two matches in charge, while Palace were left to rue missed chances and a chaotic six-minute stretch that ultimately turned the contest decisively in City’s favor.
For Cherki, meanwhile, it was a statement performance. His two goals transformed a competitive match into a comfortable City victory and provided another early indication of the attacking options available to Maresca this season.
