Manchester City marked their first home Premier League match since being found to have breached financial rules with a 3-2 win over Ipswich, a result that extended Enzo Maresca’s record start. Maresca became the first manager in history to win his first seven games in charge of a team, and City moved six points clear of their nearest challengers.
The match unfolded against the backdrop of City’s guilty verdict, with supporters having been forced to question what they had been told and labelled cheats. Defiance fortified the majority of the City fanbase, and the ground was filled with inflatables, booing of the Premier League anthem and gallows humour. Foden, a local boy, instigated the triumph with a kiss of the badge.
Ipswich, set up by Gary O’Neil with 11 men behind the ball, made City work for it. The hosts enjoyed 90% possession in the opening quarter of an hour but struggled to find space against a low block that was expertly organised and fully disciplined. Maresca had made six changes, and City took time to find their rhythm, with teenager Ayyoub Bouaddi creating from defensive midfield.
Rúben Dias provided the first serious threat with a 30-yard strike that Christian Walton palmed clear. City’s dominance eventually told when Jérémy Doku, a key instigator on the left of the box, found Phil Foden, who swept home his first goal since mid-December. Ipswich responded two minutes later: Marc Guéhi did not know Daizen Maeda was behind him, and Maeda latched onto Abdoul Ouattara’s curved through ball to equalise.
City had to work out how to bring the previously anonymous Haaland into the game, and they did so when Mateo Kovacic moved to an auxiliary winger role. Haaland’s header lacked power, but Walton could not keep it out, palming the ball from one hand to the other and into the net. The goal restored City’s lead and was greeted with the clap of bananas from the home support.
Ipswich came out after the break with greater ambition and should have levelled when Gianluigi Donnarumma completely misjudged a corner, only for Emersonn to head against the back of a City defender with the goalkeeper nowhere to be seen. City then found themselves stuck in a lull, unable to prise Ipswich open and forced to bide their time with sideways passing.
Haaland eventually claimed the points with a sweeping move upfield that ended with a precision pass from Iliman Ndiaye and an aggressive finish from the number nine. He was later denied a hat-trick by VAR. The video assistants were busy late on, calling Farai Hallam over to review footage of Guéhi taking out Abdul Fatawu in the box, and Zian Flemming converted the penalty in the 90th minute. Twelve minutes were added on, leaving City to complain about a Premier League official’s decision, but the result itself was not in question.