Erling Haaland opened his goal account for the season as Manchester City made it two wins out of two under Enzo Maresca, leaving Crystal Palace without a point after back-to-back Premier League defeats.
Haaland, last season’s leading scorer with 27 league goals, set City on their way with a guided header after being picked out by Antoine Semenyo in the 17th minute.
In an entertaining game, Rayan Cherki doubled the lead with a lovely 54th-minute finish after dancing past a couple of challenges, before Palace pulled one back two minutes later through an own goal by keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Yeremy Pino’s free-kick over the City wall struck the bar before hitting the back of Donnarumma and then going in off the post.
Cherki shines against Palace
However, Cherki’s deflected 59th-minute finish from 22 yards off Chris Richards made it 3-1, before Haaland rounded off a fine performance with City’s fourth following good work by Phil Foden.
Palace had actually started on the front foot with three attempts in the opening five minutes, the best of which coming when Italy stopper Donnarumma kept out Eddie Nketiah’s shot following a razor-sharp pass by Adam Wharton.
But City quickly took control and after Elliot Anderson had been denied by Henderson, Haaland pounced before Foden missed a golden chance to double the lead when he fired over from 10 yards.
In a free-flowing game watched by England manager Thomas Tuchel, Tyrick Mitchell should have equalised in the 34th minute of but put his header wide after a cross from the impressive Wharton, while Nketiah wasted another chance after half-time before Cherki made it 2-0.
Palace were without their star striker Jean-Philippe Mateta, whose future remains uncertain amid interest from other clubs before next Tuesday’s transfer deadline.
