Haaland and Cherki both score twice as Manchester City cruise past Crystal Palace
Manchester City beat Crystal Palace 4:1 away in the second round of the English Premier League, with Erling Haaland and Rayan Cherki each scoring twice.
On Friday, August 28, Manchester City delivered a commanding away win over Crystal Palace, taking the second round of the English Premier League by a score of 4:1.
In the first half, City largely dominated possession and created several promising chances, though the hosts held firm defensively for a while. The deadlock was broken in the 17th minute when Norwegian striker Erling Haaland, sporting a new look this season, won a header from an accurate cross by Antoine Semenyo to open the scoring. Later in the half, Phil Foden failed to convert a good chance set up by Rayan Cherki, whose delivery from the right flank did not result in a goal. Crystal Palace also threatened before the break, with Tyrick Mitchell's header from close range failing to find the target.
The second half brought more goals. Early on, Cherki doubled City's lead, skilfully dribbling past several defenders after a pass from Foden before rolling the ball into the net. Crystal Palace responded almost immediately through a direct free kick from Jeremy Pino, aimed at the top corner, but the ball deflected off the crossbar and goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma's back before crossing the line, resulting in an own goal being recorded. Palace's response was short-lived, however, as Cherki restored City's two-goal advantage through another deflected effort. Late in the match, Haaland added his second goal of the game, sealing the final 4:1 result.
With this result, Manchester City moved to the top of the league table after two rounds, while Crystal Palace remain without a point.
