Haaland and Cherki Braces Secure 4-1 Manchester City Victory at Selhurst Park

Manchester City moved to two wins from two matches as Rayan Cherki and Erling Haaland both struck twice in a 4-1 win against Crystal Palace.

Manchester City maintained their perfect start to the Premier League season with a 4-1 win over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. Erling Haaland opened the scoring in the 17th minute with a looping header and added a second in the 84th minute to secure the result. Rayan Cherki, making his first start of the season after replacing Rico Lewis in the lineup, netted a quickfire double with goals in the 54th and 59th minutes. Crystal Palace’s lone contribution to the scoreline came via a 56th-minute own goal by Gianluigi Donnarumma following a Yeremy Pino free kick.

Haaland Honors King Harald V with Brace

Erling Haaland and Jorgen Strand Larsen both wore black armbands during the match to honor the late Norwegian King Harald V, whose passing was announced earlier on Friday. Haaland’s first goal arrived after Antoine Semenyo delivered a cross that the striker converted with a header. Before this breakthrough, Elliot Anderson forced Dean Henderson into a diving save, and Strand Larsen denied Haaland a close-range finish with an alert clearance during the resulting scramble. Haaland eventually completed his brace late in the second half by lifting the ball over Henderson to give Enzo Maresca his second consecutive league win.

Cherki Inspires Second-Half Surge

Rayan Cherki, who began the previous match against Bournemouth on the bench, justified his inclusion in the starting XI by reaching 20 Premier League goal contributions since joining the club. His first goal in the 54th minute featured neat footwork to beat Henderson following a period of poor organization from the Palace defense. After the hosts briefly narrowed the gap, Cherki responded three minutes later with a strike that took a slight deflection off Chris Richards to restore the two-goal cushion. This performance spoiled the home debut of Palace manager Pierre Sage in front of England boss Thomas Tuchel, who observed the match from the stands.

Palace Squander Opportunities at Selhurst Park

Crystal Palace struggled to capitalize on early chances, including a blocked effort from Daichi Kamada and a pair of corners. Adam Wharton provided a pass to Eddie Nketiah, but the forward was held off by Rúben Dias and could only strike the side-netting. Tyrick Mitchell missed a significant opportunity to equalize before halftime, nodding a Wharton cross wide while unmarked. Early in the second half, Nketiah stabbed another attempt wide shortly before City doubled their lead. The hosts' only goal occurred when Yeremy Pino’s free kick struck the post and rebounded off Donnarumma’s back into the net.

New Substitution Rules and Debut Delays

Referee Andrew Madley enforced the league's new 10-second substitution rule during the second half, which caused a momentary delay for Oscar Mingueza as he prepared for his Premier League debut. The hosts were briefly reduced in numbers during this transition before returning to full strength. Despite the temporary numerical disadvantage, the match concluded with City dominant, as Enzo Maresca made only one change to the squad that defeated Bournemouth in the season opener. The victory ensures City remain undefeated through two matches while Palace continues to search for their first win under Sage.