Manchester City’s perfect Premier League campaign remains untarnished as they secured a 3-2 victory against Ipswich Town at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.
With this result, City has become only the third side in league history to open a season with seven straight victories, joining the 2005 Chelsea and 2019 Liverpool squads, both of whom eventually clinched the title. Manager Enzo Maresca, who took over from Pep Guardiola during the off-season, also made history by becoming the first manager to win his inaugural seven Premier League matches. According to “We will see,” Maresca said. “I asked him, and he, He was OK, so hopefully it is nothing serious.”.
Erling Haaland was central to the triumph, scoring twice to reach a season-high tally of eight league goals. The Norwegian striker also achieved a major individual milestone, becoming the fastest player in Premier League history to net 100 non-penalty goals, a feat accomplished in just 139 appearances. While late-game jitters saw Ipswich pull a second goal back in stoppage time, City successfully extended their lead at the top of the table to six points. It took him 139 matches to achieve this record.
The victory follows a turbulent period for the club, which was recently found guilty of nearly a decade of large-scale financial wrongdoing. City maintains its innocence and is currently pursuing an appeal against the verdict. Amidst the ongoing saga, the club’s supporters have leaned into a defiant atmosphere. During Saturday’s match, many fans brought inflatable bananas—a nostalgic nod to props used by supporters during the 1980s—and jeered the official Premier League anthem before kickoff. Either side of a 4-2 loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, since being found guilty of large-scale financial wrongdoing in the Premier League for nearly a decade, that made it back-to-back victories in the league for City. Though City continue to protest their innocence and have appealed, the seismic verdict threatens the club’s place in England’s lucrative top flight.
Addressing the current climate, Maresca expressed his pride in the squad’s unity. “The fans, the club, the players – we are all together in this journey,” he remarked. Some home fans openly leaned into the adversity, chanting “Going down with the City” throughout the first half. Regarding fitness concerns, Maresca noted that while Haaland took a blow to his foot, he appeared optimistic about his condition. However, second-half substitute Antoine Semenyo may be facing a more significant injury.
In other Saturday action, Liverpool secured a hard-fought 2-1 comeback win against a nine-man Brentford side. After falling behind to a 44th-minute header from Keane Lewis-Potter, Liverpool benefited from a red card issued to Brentford’s Yehor Yarmoliuk just before halftime for a head-butt on Jeremy Jacquet. Goals from Victor Munoz and Alexander Isak in the second half turned the match around. Brentford’s frustration was compounded when Vitaly Janelt received a second yellow card in stoppage time.
Despite the win, Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola faces a growing injury crisis. Both Dominik Szoboszlai and Jeremie Frimpong were forced off, with Iraola confirming that Szoboszlai suffered a recurrence of a hamstring injury initially sustained while representing Hungary during the international break.
Meanwhile, Aston Villa snatched a 1-0 victory at St James’ Park, with Johan Manzambi netting the decisive goal against Newcastle. The 21-year-old Switzerland midfielder has now scored three times in his last four outings. The result was particularly stinging for Newcastle, who had unsuccessfully attempted to sign Manzambi during the off-season following his standout World Cup performance. Who reached an agreement with Freiburg to sign Manzambi after his impressive World Cup performances, but not with the player himself, it would have been a painful sight for Newcastle.
Finally, Fulham secured their first league win of the season, relieving pressure on manager Alvaro Arbeloa. A 33rd-minute strike from Alex Iwobi was enough to overcome Hull City 1-0. The result marks a significant turning point for Arbeloa, the former Real Madrid coach who has been working to stabilize the club since his arrival earlier this year.
