Manchester City’s blue half of the city remains defiant. Under the shadow of a financial case that could yet reshape the club’s place in England’s top flight, City beat Ipswich Town 3-2 at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday to preserve their perfect league start.
Erling Haaland struck twice, taking his Premier League total to eight goals, as Enzo Maresca’s side recorded a seventh straight win and moved to 21 points. Their lead at the summit stood at six points before second-placed Arsenal’s Sunday trip to Nottingham Forest.
Quick facts
- Manchester City defeated Ipswich Town 3-2 at the Etihad Stadium.
- Haaland scored twice and leads the competition with eight goals.
- Phil Foden also scored for City; Daizen Maeda and Zian Flemming replied for Ipswich.
- City have won seven consecutive league matches and have 21 points.
- Both Haaland and substitute Antoine Semenyo left the field limping.
Foden put City ahead in the 19th minute, but the advantage was brief as Maeda levelled only a few minutes later. Haaland restored the home side’s lead before the interval, then added a second in the 69th minute.
Flemming scored in stoppage time to make for an uneasy finish, with Ipswich applying late pressure after their second goal. City nevertheless held on for another victory.
The result was City’s second league win since the club was found guilty of major financial irregularities spanning almost a decade. Those victories came either side of a 4-2 Champions League defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.
The ruling places City’s future in the highly lucrative Premier League at risk, though the club continues to deny wrongdoing and has lodged an appeal. On the pitch, Maresca believes the situation has brought his squad closer together.
That resistance was visible in the stands. Many City supporters brought inflatable bananas, recalling an item associated with supporters during the difficult years of the 1980s, while a section of the home crowd sang “Going down with City” during the first half.
There was a cost to the afternoon, however. Haaland and Semenyo, introduced after the break, both appeared to sustain problems before leaving the field with limps as City saw out a match that became increasingly tense in added time.
