Cherki and Haaland fire Manchester City to Premier League summit with 4-1 rout at Crystal Palace

Rayan Cherki announced himself to the Premier League in style as Manchester City dismantled Crystal Palace 4-1 at Selhurst Park on Friday night, climbing to the top of the table in the process. The French winger scored twice in the second half to add to his two assists from the Bournemouth win, while Erling Haaland contributed a brace of his own and Phil Foden weighed in with two assists.

Beyond the scoreline, there were several subplot stories worth noting from South London.

Bouaddi’s promising cameo

Ayyoub Bouaddi had only ten minutes to make an impression after coming on for his City debut, but the Moroccan teenager showed enough to justify some of the excitement surrounding his £81m arrival. Deployed in front of the defence, he tidied up effectively and, crucially, threaded a sharp pass through the lines for Antoine Semenyo to run onto in injury time — the kind of ball that would have drawn admiration from anyone. Rodri’s absence looms large over City’s midfield, but Bouaddi’s brief appearance hinted at a player capable of filling that void over time.

Ait-Nouri’s difficult evening

Rayan Ait-Nouri had spoken enthusiastically about the new season during the summer tour, but the opening weeks have offered little encouragement. With Nico O’Reilly back from holiday and Josko Gvardiol preferred at left-back, the Algerian was again passed over at Selhurst Park — this time in favour of youngster Kaden Braithwaite, who came on to make his Premier League debut. The snub raises genuine questions about Ait-Nouri’s standing in the squad. To his credit, he was out on the pitch after the final whistle completing shuttle runs with the other unused substitutes.

McAidoo back in the picture

Ryan McAidoo’s inclusion in the matchday squad was notable in itself — his first since featuring in the opening pre-season friendly against Inter in Hong Kong back in the summer. In that 45-minute run-out he had teased defenders repeatedly and gone agonisingly close to scoring, only to see a shot rebound off the post. His return to the squad suggests Enzo Maresca has not forgotten about the academy winger, even if game time remains limited.

The bigger picture

City’s win moves them to the summit of the Premier League, and while Maresca acknowledged there is still work to do in the transfer window before it closes, the performance at Selhurst Park offered plenty of encouragement. Cherki’s rapid integration, Haaland’s reliability in front of goal, and the emergence of young academy players all point to a squad with genuine depth — and one that is still being assembled.