Cherki and Haaland doubles carry Manchester City past Crystal Palace
Rayan Cherki and Erling Haaland scored two goals apiece as Manchester City beat Crystal Palace 4-1 at Selhurst Park on Friday. Match reports from both clubs confirmed the result, which gave City a second victory from their first two Premier League games under manager Enzo Maresca.
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Palace made a lively start and Eddie Nketiah forced Gianluigi Donnarumma into an early save. City soon created opportunities of their own, with Dean Henderson denying Elliot Anderson, before Haaland opened the scoring in the 17th minute. The striker found space to meet Antoine Semenyo's cross and direct a looping header beyond Henderson.
The match changed decisively early in the second half. Phil Foden carried the ball forward and supplied Cherki, who moved through challenges before finishing in the 54th minute. Palace responded two minutes later when Yeremy Pino's free-kick struck the crossbar and went in off Donnarumma, with the goal officially recorded as an own goal by the City goalkeeper.
Cherki restored City's two-goal advantage in the 59th minute, finding room outside the penalty area and scoring with the help of a deflection. Haaland then completed his brace late in the match, converting from a tight angle after another forward run by Foden. The four City goals were scored by the same two players, while Palace's only goal came during a five-minute burst after halftime.
The clubs also confirmed several personnel milestones. Mateo Kovacic made his 100th City appearance after entering as a substitute, while Ayyoub Bouaddi made his debut less than two days after joining the club. Ryan McAidoo and Kaden Braithwaite made their first Premier League starts from the bench, and Axel Disasi and Oscar Mingueza appeared as substitutes for Palace.
City's official report said the win left Maresca's team with six points from two matches after an opening victory over Bournemouth. Maresca said City corrected an early pressing problem and praised the team's work without the ball as well as its attacking play. Palace's report described a spirited performance but acknowledged that Cherki's two second-half goals shifted the game firmly toward the visitors.
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