Manchester City Dominates Crystal Palace 4-1 with Haaland and Cherki Braces

Rayan Cherki struck twice in five ruthless minutes and Erling Haaland matched him with a brace of his own as Manchester City crushed Crystal Palace 4-1 in London on Friday, preserving their perfect start to the Premier League season.

City’s leading man wasted no time. Haaland, last season’s top scorer, opened his account for the new campaign after just 17 minutes, guiding in a tidy header to settle any early nerves and tilt the night firmly in the champions’ favour.

Cherki Takes Over

Cherki then took over.

Early in the second half, the Frenchman sliced through a crowded penalty area, weaving past a cluster of Palace defenders before stabbing the ball in from close range. It was a goal full of balance and nerve, and it seemed to put the contest out of reach.

Palace refused to fold. Almost immediately, they found a lifeline in spectacular, chaotic fashion. Yeremy Pino whipped a free kick against the crossbar, the ball cannoned down, struck the back of the scrambling Gianluigi Donnarumma and bounced over the line. A moment of brilliance, a stroke of luck, and suddenly Selhurst Park roared again.

The noise barely had time to peak.

Two minutes later, Cherki silenced it. Picking up the ball just outside the area, he let fly. His shot took a deflection, wrong-footing Dean Henderson and spinning into the net to restore City’s two-goal cushion. It was the first Premier League brace of Cherki’s career, and it arrived with the swagger of a player ready for the stage.

City never looked troubled after that. They controlled the tempo, squeezed the space, and waited for the next opening.

It came six minutes from time. Haaland, lurking and ruthless, drilled a left-footed finish to complete the scoring and underline the gulf between the sides.

Two games, two wins, six points. Manchester City are already back on top of the league, and the familiar question returns: who is going to stop them?