Manchester City secured a dominant 4-1 victory against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Friday, August 28, 2026, with Rayan Cherki and Erling Haaland both netting braces to maintain Enzo Maresca’s winning start in the Premier League. According to BBC Sport, the fixture lifted the club to consecutive victories under their new management.
Cherki and Haaland Lead the Attack at Selhurst Park
Manchester City opened the scoring in the 16th minute when Erling Haaland met an accurate cross from Antoine Semenyo to head past the goalkeeper, according to Foot Africa. The club controlled the tempo through the first half, carrying a 1-0 advantage into the interval.
Rayan Cherki extended City’s lead in the 54th minute. After Phil Foden won possession high up the pitch, he fed Cherki in central space; the France attacker evaded a challenge from Jérémy Canvot, fended off defender Chris Richards, and slotted a delicate left-footed finish into the corner, as reported by Foot Africa. Crystal Palace briefly responded three minutes later when Gianluigi Donnarumma mishandled a cross under pressure and inadvertently diverted the ball into his own net.
Any hopes of an Eagles comeback were quickly extinguished. In the 59th minute, Cherki collected the ball on the right wing, beat his markers, and unleashed a powerful right-footed shot across goal past Dean Henderson. Haaland then sealed the 4-1 scoreline later in the half, latching onto a pass from Foden following a surging solo run and driving a fierce shot past the Palace defense.
Maresca’s System and Squad Integrations
The performance marks a notable milestone for Cherki following his £30m arrival from Lyon. Having contributed two assists off the bench against Bournemouth on opening weekend, Cherki’s full start and two-goal display at Selhurst Park underline his growing influence in Enzo Maresca’s tactical setup.
The match also featured squad rotation and debut action for the visitors. According to Foot Africa, Ayyoub Bouaddi made his first appearance for Manchester City during the fixture, while Algeria international Rayan Aït-Nouri remained an unused substitute for the third consecutive match.
Match Statistics and Outlook
With the victory, Manchester City registers two wins from two matches to start the 2026-27 Premier League season. Cherki has directly contributed four goal involvements—two goals and two assists—across his first two league appearances, while Haaland has opened his account with two goals.