Manchester City continues its flawless start to the Premier League season, securing seven consecutive victories despite the ongoing scrutiny surrounding the club’s financial conduct. In a 3-2 home win over Ipswich on Saturday, Erling Haaland scored twice, bringing his season tally to eight goals and cementing his status as the fastest player to record 100 non-penalty goals in league history, a milestone reached in 139 matches. 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.
The match occurred against a backdrop of institutional tension following the club’s recent finding of large-scale financial wrongdoing over nearly a decade.
While the verdict looms over City’s top-flight future, the team has remained defiant. Though City continue to protest their innocence and have appealed, the seismic verdict threatens the club’s place in England’s lucrative top flight.
Manager Enzo Maresca noted that the saga has seemingly strengthened the squad’s resolve, a sentiment mirrored by the home support. Fans at the Etihad Stadium brought inflatable bananas—a nostalgic reference to 1980s fan culture—and openly jeered the Premier League anthem, with some supporters chanting, “Going down with the City” throughout the first half.
Addressing the atmosphere of solidarity, Maresca stated, “The fans, the club, the players – we are all together in this journey.” Reflecting on his own record-breaking start, the manager expressed surprise at winning seven out of seven matches, noting that his team is performing well under his guidance since his arrival in the off-season. His success mirrors the trajectories of Chelsea in 2005 and Liverpool in 2019, both of whom won their first seven games and ultimately clinched the league title.
Despite the win, injury concerns emerged late in the game. Haaland, who suffered a foot blow, is reportedly not worried, though teammate Antoine Semenyo may face a more serious issue. Regarding the star striker’s fitness, Maresca said, “I asked him, and he said he was OK, so hopefully it is nothing serious.” Which finished with Ipswich grabbing its second goal in stoppage time and piling on the pressure in the final minutes, haaland and second-half substitute Antoine Semenyo were seen hobbling off the field at the end of the game.
Elsewhere in the league, Liverpool rallied to defeat nine-man Brentford 2-1. After trailing to a 44th-minute header by Keane Lewis-Potter, Liverpool gained an advantage when Yehor Yarmoliuk received a red card for a head-butt. Second-half goals from Victor Munoz and Alexander Isak secured the win, though Liverpool suffered setbacks as Dominik Szoboszlai and Jeremie Frimpong exited with injuries. Manager Andoni Iraola confirmed Szoboszlai’s issue is a recurrence of a hamstring injury sustained during international duty. Earlier, Liverpool came from behind to win 2-1 at nine-man Brentford but lost two more players to injury in a busy stretch of fixtures.
Aston Villa secured a 1-0 win at St James’ Park against Newcastle, thanks to a goal from Johan Manzambi. The 21-year-old Swiss midfielder has now scored three times in four games. The result was particularly stinging for Newcastle, who had previously attempted to sign Manzambi after his impressive World Cup campaign, only for the deal to fall through.
Fulham provided relief for manager Alvaro Arbeloa, securing their first win of the season with a 1-0 victory over Hull. Alex Iwobi’s 33rd-minute goal moved Fulham off the bottom of the table, offering a much-needed morale boost for the former Real Madrid coach as he works to stabilize the side.
