Crystal Palace vs Manchester City: 4-1 Result, Goals & Match Report
Manchester City produced a convincing away performance at Selhurst Park, beating Crystal Palace 4-1 in the Premier League on Friday, August 28.
Erling Haaland and Rayan Cherki were the stars of the night, with both players scoring twice as City secured their second consecutive league victory of the 2026-27 season.
Manchester City beat Crystal Palace 4-1 at Selhurst Park. Erling Haaland and Rayan Cherki both scored two goals, while Palace's only goal came through an own goal credited to Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Crystal Palace 1-4 Manchester City: Match Summary
Crystal Palace started the game with attacking intent and tested Manchester City's defence early, but City gradually took control.
The visitors opened the scoring in the 17th minute when Haaland headed Antoine Semenyo's cross over Dean Henderson and into the Palace net. It was Haaland's first Premier League goal of the new campaign.
City went into half-time with the advantage before Cherki took over after the break.
Haaland Opens the Scoring
The opening goal arrived after just 17 minutes. Semenyo delivered an excellent cross and Haaland rose to produce a looping header beyond Henderson.
The goal gave City an early advantage and provided Haaland with his first league goal of the season.
Rayan Cherki Takes Control
Manchester City's advantage grew shortly after the interval. Cherki doubled the lead in the 54th minute after creating the opportunity himself and finishing from close range.
Just five minutes later, Cherki struck again. His second goal came from a deflected effort, putting City 3-0 ahead and effectively ending Palace's hopes of a comeback.
Palace Pull One Back
Crystal Palace did manage to get on the scoresheet in the 56th minute, but the goal came through an unfortunate own goal.
Yéremy Pino's free-kick struck the crossbar before rebounding off Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and into the net.
The goal reduced the deficit to 3-1, but City quickly restored control of the match.
Haaland Completes His Brace
Haaland completed the scoring in the 84th minute, finishing a move involving Phil Foden to give Manchester City a commanding 4-1 lead.
The Norwegian's second goal completed a brace and wrapped up another impressive attacking display from City.
Goalscorers: Crystal Palace vs Manchester City
| Minute | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 17' | Erling Haaland | Manchester City |
| 54' | Rayan Cherki | Manchester City |
| 56' | Gianluigi Donnarumma (OG) | Crystal Palace |
| 59' | Rayan Cherki | Manchester City |
| 84' | Erling Haaland | Manchester City |
Manchester City Make It Two Wins From Two
The victory gives Manchester City two wins from their first two Premier League matches of the 2026-27 season.
After a narrow opening-day victory over Bournemouth, City's four-goal performance at Selhurst Park provided a much stronger attacking statement.
The result also gives Enzo Maresca a perfect start to his first two Premier League matches as Manchester City's manager.
Crystal Palace Still Searching for Their First Points
Palace, meanwhile, suffered their second defeat of the league campaign.
Pierre Sage's side showed promising moments early in the match, but struggled to contain City's attacking quality after the interval.
Palace will now look to respond in their next Premier League fixture as they search for their first points of the season.
Vitor Reis Makes His Premier League Return
The match also provided a brief Premier League appearance for young Manchester City defender Vitor Reis.
Reis came on in the closing stages, replacing Abdukodir Khusanov in the 89th minute. The appearance marked another step in his development after returning to City from his loan spell at Girona.
His return is particularly interesting given the growing attention around the Brazilian defender ahead of the rest of the 2026-27 campaign.
What the Result Means for Manchester City
City's 4-1 victory was more than simply another three points. The performance showed the attacking potential of Maresca's side, with Haaland and Cherki both producing decisive moments.
Cherki's two goals were particularly encouraging after he had already made an impact in City's opening fixture, while Haaland immediately found his scoring rhythm in the new season.
City now have six points from six available and will aim to maintain their perfect start when the Premier League schedule resumes.
Crystal Palace vs Manchester City: Final Score
Manchester City leave Selhurst Park with a commanding 4-1 victory, powered by braces from Erling Haaland and Rayan Cherki.