Manchester City made it seven wins from seven at the start of the Premier League season, holding off a spirited Ipswich Town 3-2 at the Etihad as Enzo Maresca became the first manager in the competition's history to win his opening seven matches in charge of a club.
In front of 60,817 fans, Phil Foden marked his first appearance since his red card in the Manchester derby by opening the scoring on 19 minutes, ghosting in to meet Jeremy Doku's cutback with a smart first-time finish. The lead lasted barely three minutes: Daizen Maeda raced onto a ball in behind, got the better of Marc Guehi and found the bottom corner to silence the home crowd.
Haaland settles it, almost
City retook the lead before half-time when Erling Haaland headed home Mateo Kovacic's cross, and the Norwegian doubled the advantage midway through the second half, outmuscling Abdoul Ouattara to reach Iliman Ndiaye's pass and firing home. Only the offside flag denied him a hat-trick, after Enzo Fernandez was ruled marginally offside in the build-up to what would have been an acrobatic third.
There was still time for drama. Zian Flemming converted a 90th-minute penalty after Guehi caught Abdul Fatawu, setting up twelve tense minutes of added time, but City saw it out to equal their best winning start to a campaign since 1897-98. They are only the third club to win their first seven Premier League games, after Chelsea in 2005-06 and Liverpool in 2019-20.
City 3-2 Ipswich at a Glance
- Foden opened the scoring on 19 minutes, his first appearance since the derby red card.
- Maeda levelled 155 seconds later, but Haaland struck on 34 and 69 minutes.
- Flemming's 90th-minute penalty set up a nervy finish at the Etihad.
- Maresca is the first manager to win his first seven Premier League matches at a club.
- City stay six points clear; Arsenal host Nottingham Forest on Sunday.
Defiance in the stands
This was City's first home league game since the club was found guilty of breaking the competition's financial rules, and the home support made its feelings plain, booing the Premier League anthem before kick-off and waving the inflatable bananas of 1980s fame. On the pitch, Maresca's players continue to block out the uncertainty over what sanctions may follow.
Around the grounds
Liverpool responded to last weekend's Anfield defeat with a 2-1 win at Brentford, recovering from Munoz's second-half equaliser to take the points. Chelsea won 2-0 at Everton, Aston Villa beat Newcastle 1-0 at St James' Park, and Fulham edged Hull City 1-0 at Craven Cottage despite finishing the match with ten men. City now turn to the Champions League, with AEK Athens due at the Etihad on Tuesday night.