Manchester City won 4-1 at Crystal Palace's Selhurst Park under rainy conditions on August 28, 2026, securing their second consecutive Premier League victory of the 2026-27 season and reaching six points from two games [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6].
Erling Haaland opened the scoring in the 17th minute with a looping header from a cross by Antoine Semenyo [1, 7, 4, 5]. Rayan Cherki, 23, who was signed from Olympique Lyonnais for about €40 million two years ago, scored his first goal in the 54th minute after dribbling through Palace’s defense [1, 2, 7, 4, 5, 8].
Between Cherki’s two goals, Palace pulled one back through a free kick by Yeremy Pino that deflected off Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma [1, 4, 5]. Cherki scored again in the 59th minute on a deflected shot off Chris Richards to restore City’s three-goal lead [1, 4, 5]. Haaland finished the scoring with a left-footed shot in the 85th minute [1, 2, 4, 5, 8].
Cherki was critical of his own first-half performance, calling it "so-so" and "bad," adding he wanted to "show them I want to play, I want to score" and aimed to distribute the ball more next time [2]. Manager Enzo Maresca praised Cherki’s off-the-ball work and influence, saying, "His performance off the ball was unbelievable. Everyone knows his quality but when he works hard off the ball... He’s helping us and is going to help in the future" [3, 6, 9].
Haaland noted the team is still building chemistry under Maresca after manager Pep Guardiola departed before the season, saying, "It's been a short pre-season... Game by game, we'll be back... We know what to do and have to trust the system" [2]. Cherki also acknowledged Guardiola’s departure but said, "We will start another story. We want to prove it and are here for that" [8].
This match followed Cherki’s recent impactful substitute appearance against Bournemouth, where he assisted two goals [2, 3]. City’s next Premier League fixture is scheduled for next week.
