Premier League
Manchester City Sink Crystal Palace 4-1 at Selhurst Park
Erling Haaland and R. Cherki both scored twice as Manchester City recovered from a first-half deficit to win 4-1 against Crystal Palace.
Manchester City left Selhurst Park with a convincing 4-1 victory over Crystal Palace in a Premier League clash that saw the visitors score three times in a nine-minute spell midway through the second half.
Crystal Palace started the brighter and were rewarded on 17 minutes when Erling Haaland put Manchester City ahead. The Norwegian striker found the net after good work from A. Semenyo, sending a shot past the home defense to give the away side the lead going into the break.
Manchester City led 1-0 at the interval, but Crystal Palace would have felt aggrieved not to have tested the opposition more in an opening period that offered few clear chances for either side.
The second half brought a dramatic shift in momentum. R. Cherki doubled the visitors' advantage on 54 minutes, firing home from close range after a clever assist from P. Foden.
Just two minutes later, the home side pulled one back. G. Donnarumma was credited with an own goal, the Manchester City defender turning the ball into his own net to give Palace a brief glimmer of hope and reduce the deficit to 2-1.
Manchester City responded almost immediately. R. Cherki scored his second of the afternoon on 59 minutes, converting a cross from J. Gvardiol to restore the two-goal cushion and effectively settle the contest.
Haaland secured the win late on, adding his second of the evening in the 84th minute with another assist from P. Foden, the pair linking up once more to seal a comfortable victory.
The match saw three yellow cards issued. R. Cherki was booked in the 33rd minute, E. Anderson followed him into the book on 55 minutes, while A. Khalaili of Crystal Palace received a caution on 68 minutes.
The fixture was refereed by Andy Madley of England, with both sides lining up in their designated formations. Crystal Palace played in a 3-4-2-1 under Pierre Sage, while Manchester City adopted a 4-2-3-1 shape managed by Enzo Maresca.
The result moves Manchester City to seventh in the Premier League table with three points from their opening game. Crystal Palace, by contrast, sit 17th with no points after the opening round of fixtures.