Manchester City are making a perfect start to their season. For their first away outing in the Premier League, Enzo Maresca's side won with authority at Crystal Palace (4-1), boosted by braces from Rayan Cherki and Erling Haaland.
Yet Palace had managed to trouble the Mancunians in the first half. City had the ball, but struggled to accelerate. It was not until the 17th minute that Haaland broke the deadlock with a perfectly placed header.
The Londoners stayed in the match and even drew level after the break with a free kick from Yéremy Pino, which ended up in the net after hitting the crossbar and then Gianluigi Donnarumma.
But that is when Cherki turned the match around. In the 54th minute, the Frenchman danced past the defence before finishing with great finesse. Five minutes later, he did it again with a powerful strike that put City back in front by two goals.
Haaland definitively sealed the win in the 84th minute. 4-1, City are up and running.
Cherki, finally a landmark evening
It would still be premature to present Cherki as someone who has already changed the face of Manchester City. His adaptation to the club has not been straightforward, and he still has to establish himself firmly in this team. But this evening was an important one.
Having already provided two assists on the opening matchday, the Frenchman this time had a direct impact on the result with a brace. His two goals show above all what he can bring: creativity, spontaneity and that ability to create something when the match becomes tight.
The player himself remains very clear-eyed about it. Cherki admitted that his first half had not lived up to his expectations, before taking more freedom after the break.
A successful match, then, but not yet a revolution. For Cherki, the challenge now will be to reproduce this kind of performance and turn this fine evening into a genuine starting point in Manchester.
Haaland, meanwhile, remains the benchmark
Alongside him, Haaland reminded everyone why he remains City's number one offensive weapon. The Norwegian scored his first two goals of the season and continues to display fearsome efficiency.
His second goal, in the 84th minute, gave the scoreline a scale that rewarded a second half largely dominated by the visitors.
Two matches, two wins for Maresca's City. The team is still a work in progress and must find its new balance after the changes made this summer. But this win at Selhurst Park offers a particularly interesting first signal: City are moving forward, Haaland is already delivering and Cherki has just produced his first big evening of the season.
The question now is whether this performance will be a one-off flash or the start of something more consistent for the Frenchman.
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