LONDON, August 29, 2026: Manchester City made an emphatic statement at the start of the new Premier League campaign, sweeping aside Crystal Palace 4–1 at Selhurst Park as Rayan Cherki and Erling Haaland both scored twice to maintain the club’s perfect start to the season. City dominated possession and created the majority of the attacking opportunities, with Haaland opening the scoring with a powerful header before Palace briefly threatened to bring themselves back into the contest. After the interval, however, City raised the intensity and Cherki emerged as the decisive figure, producing two outstanding finishes to put the visitors firmly in control. The French attacking midfielder, who had already impressed with two assists in City’s opening-day victory over Bournemouth, followed that performance with a goal-scoring masterclass, underlining why the club invested heavily in his signing. His first goal came after a superb individual move through the Palace defence, while his second demonstrated his ability to threaten from distance. Haaland then completed his brace late in the match, putting the result beyond doubt and highlighting once again his importance to City’s attacking ambitions. The performance also offered encouraging signs for manager Enzo Maresca, whose side have collected six points from their opening two league matches. Maresca praised Cherki not only for his attacking contribution but also for his pressing and defensive work, suggesting that the Frenchman is adapting quickly to the demands of City’s tactical system. For Palace, the result marked a difficult start under new manager Pierre Sage, with the London club suffering their second defeat of the campaign. For City, meanwhile, the emphatic victory provided another early indication that the club’s new era could be built around a dangerous attacking partnership between Cherki and Haaland. With both players already finding the net regularly, Manchester City have sent an early warning to their Premier League rivals that they intend to remain firmly in the title race.
Cherki and Haaland Shine as Manchester City Crush Crystal Palace 4–1
