English Premier League
Haaland and Cherki shine as Manchester City cruise past Crystal Palace
Manchester City made it two Premier League wins from two with a commanding 4-1 victory over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Friday evening.
Erling Haaland scored twice and Rayan Cherki also found the net twice as Manchester City continued their positive start under manager Enzo Maresca. The result moved City temporarily top of the Premier League with six points, following their 2-1 win against Bournemouth on the opening weekend.
Crystal Palace remain without a point after suffering a second consecutive defeat. They lost 2-0 to Everton in their first match and now sit at the bottom of the table.
Haaland gave the visitors the lead after 17 minutes. Antoine Semenyo delivered a cross into the penalty area and Haaland rose above the Palace defence to head the ball beyond goalkeeper Dean Henderson.
Manchester City controlled much of the opening period and extended their advantage nine minutes into the second half. Cherki collected a pass from Phil Foden before driving into the penalty area, evading several defenders and guiding a left-footed finish into the bottom corner.
Palace responded almost immediately, reducing the deficit two minutes later through an own goal. A free-kick taken by Yeremy Pino struck the crossbar before rebounding onto Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and crossing the line.
The setback did little to unsettle the visitors, who restored their two-goal cushion in the 59th minute. Cherki scored his second of the night with a long-range strike after receiving the ball from Josko Gvardiol.
With six minutes of normal time remaining, Haaland completed the scoring and matched Cherki’s achievement by adding his second goal. Foden led the attack before supplying the final pass, allowing Haaland to unleash a powerful effort from close range and seal a 4-1 victory.
The result gives Manchester City a perfect record after the opening two rounds of the new Premier League campaign, while Palace have been left searching for their first points following defeats by Everton and City.
The match also marked a productive evening for City’s attacking players, with Haaland and Cherki accounting for all four of the visitors’ goals. Their contributions ensured that Palace’s brief second-half revival did not develop into a serious challenge.
Donnarumma was beaten only by the unfortunate own goal, while Henderson conceded four times as City maintained their early momentum. Manchester City will now remain at the top of the standings at least temporarily, with the rest of the second round still to be completed.
