PL Update: Haaland, Cherki guide City past Palace
Paul Burmeister, Tim Howard, and Danny Higginbotham analyze Manchester City's 4-1 victory over Crystal Palace and hear from the stars of the match, Erling Haaland and Rayan Cherki, after the final whistle.
Video Transcript
Paul Burmeister alongside Tim Howard and Danny Higginbotham.
For Man City, Erling Haaland got off to a slow start in the win week one.
He wasn't slow at all today.
He got rolling early as Man City got it going at Selhurst Park right away.
Yeah, and it's really, really good header from him.
To see in the middle of the box, this is where he always is.
He's always lurking on the back shoulder.
Chris Richards there, looping header.
I have to say, it's a really, really good goal.
But if you look at City, there's no pressure on the ball.
They're able to do what they want.
Simeone's able to stop the ball, get his head up, make eye contact, and then from there, I mean, this is bread and butter stuff off the training grounds.
Just cross the ball in in a good area and let Haaland go and head it.
Have a look at this pass here from Elliott Anderson in the buildup when he threads the needle to Phil Foden, and we're just all so shocked he misses the target.
We're so used to him wrapping that left foot around it, and then again, pops up in between the posts.
And maybe give him a little bit more credit here, because it's just behind him and he's trying to glance it, but he knows that's a really good opportunity.
And then s- speaking of missed chances, Wharton here just flashes it across, and Tariq Mitchell meets a wide open header.
Literally a wide open header inside the six-yard box, and somehow doesn't get enough purchase on it.
And Pino gets away with one here on the tackle.
I mean, Haaland helps him out.
Vieira has a look at it.
It's a lack of intensity in the tackle.
He's already lying down on the ground and just sort of so- shows his studs, but he gets away with it.
No card.
No, no red card.
And then going into the second half, once again, the wing back's getting involved down the left-hand side.
Mitchell does really pl- does really well.
Plays it into Nketiah, but he's not able to hit the target.
That was a big chance, and then just a few minutes later, Manchester City, they made it two-nil, and it was the star of the show.
utki eventually gets the ball, and it's just absolutely wonderful play from him.
He's got a little bit of everything here.
It's the skill, then it's the strength, and then it's just a wonderful finish.
Gives Henderson no chance, but the way he's just able to go through the defense, skill, tight control, and then this toe poke with his left foot.
Absolutely magnificent.
What a goal that was and what performance it was from him as well.
And you see the celebration as well, what he thinks of it.
But then not long after, Crystal Palace got themselves back into the game and it's a wonderful free kick from Pino.
But as you can see here, it actually hits the crossbar, hits Donnarumma, then hits the post and goes into the back of the net.
Brilliant free kick, and this is probably the best angle, as you see now.
It just comes off the crossbar, then off Donnarumma, then off the post, and Crystal Palace think they've got themselves back into the game.
But just a few minutes after that, once again, utki just at his best, just finds the space, knows exactly what he wants to do.
Crystal Palace defensively gave him too much time and space.
And when he receives the ball, the runners that he's got around him, that frees him up, and then he takes the strike and it takes a deflection off Richards.
Gives Henderson absolutely no chance whatsoever, and utki just continues his outstanding form at the start of the season.
And then three-one was to soon become four-one.
Once again, Crystal Palace trying to play out from the back.
Because they lose the ball, then they're out of shape.
Ball goes to Haaland.
He lets it run across him.
What a finish that is at the near post.
You just see it's Richards just playing a dangerous pass into midfield, but I love this movement from Haaland.
He just gets on the wrong side of Richards, lets the ball go across him.
Henderson, before he can react, the ball's into the back of the net.
Wonderful performance from Manchester City.
Yeah, for Man City, dramatic win last weekend at home, and then a convincing win on the road led by those two guys, utki and Haaland.
So it's two Premier League outings and two wins for Man City to begin this Enzo Maresca era.
Four goals for them at Selhurst Park today as two of the league's best attackers, Haaland, utki, both score brace.
Erling, you started and finished the night with your goals.
Was that a step up in performance from last week?
Yeah, I think in the start of the season, barely pre-season for anyone.
Ryan was for, five weeks ago, he was, playing, in the World Cup.
So, yeah, step up, I think game by game and, we'll be back.
It just, need a few games, you know?
It seems as if the players were really enjoying it tonight.
What did you like about that performance?
No, I think we played well and, and, and yeah, I mean, it's a new manager and all of that, but, we've been playing together, most of us, of course.
There's two new players, and that, but we, we know what to do and, we have to trust the system and, and trust Enzo, what he wants, wants us to do.
Ryan, can you just tell me about the goal you scored, the first goal you scored?
Really quick feet in a close space.
Was that one of your best?
I don't know.
When Erling, don't give the ball, I give and then after, it's my, instinct, you know?
And I'm very happy, for the, the, the win today.
See you the, the next week.
Just say, say what you actually mean.
You scored two top goals.
No, no, no, no.
That is nothing.
I won't give, ball for him.
You can interview him.
You can interview him, Erling.
Maybe you'll get better answers.
Tell us about Phil Foden today, Erling.
He started two games in a row now in the league, and he set you up brilliantly for your last goal.
Yeah, I think, as I said, we have to, we have to keep on playing together and we have to find out, where we are best and how, how to play.
We have so many good players, so we have to fit, fit everyone in and, and, Phil has to, has to work hard as everyone else and, we have to, have to keep going because we know how, how good Phil is and, it's about, showing it week in, week out.
And, and yeah, this is a right step in the right dir- direction, I think, for everyone.
I think Elliott as well was, incredible and, and, and yeah, we have to build on this.
Ryan, does it feel like a new beginning as well?
I know it's obvious to say that in some respects because Pep has left and it's the end of the era.
But does it feel like there are players already here stepping up and with different roles?
Yeah, of course.
With Pep, we have a big, big story.
Now we start, another, another story, and we need to, to prove, all week and we are here for that Well, they were two great performances, but, Ryan, you are the player of the match.
Erling, will you please give it him?
It's the, it's the first time- There you go he give me assist, and the last time.
Well deserved.
Thank you.
Next time give me one assist.
Well done, lads.
Yeah.
He said not one.
Well, easy to laugh when you each have two goals and you are 2-0 on this young season.
But Danny, amidst all this change that we talked about all summer for Man City and anticipated how it might look, but what a luxury, to steal a word that you used a moment ago, to have while you're going through this change the guy who had the most goals in the league last year and the one who had the second-most assists as well.
And it, it's, it's what they're capable of.
I think that the question marks weren't obviously the quality of the squad.
It was how quickly they were going to adjust to what Maresca wants.
Because we know with Pep Guardiola, he's unique.
There's no other coach in the world that coaches the same way, so whoever comes in has to have that adjustment period.
But they have intelligent players there, and I thought it was a great performance.
And let's not forget, you've got a player who I thought was a standout player for Manchester City last season, Doku.
He's still got to come back as well.
So they've still got players that, that have to return.
Is there gonna be incoming players?
We don't know yet, 'cause there's been talk of, you know, the likes of Fernandes.
So does, does something like that happen?
But really, really good performance.
Yeah.
In a lot of areas.
Yeah, in a lot of area- And I think with, you know, when you listen to Haaland there, and we, and I talked about before the game, like who's the leader?
I know, I know Ru- Diaz is gonna be wearing the armband, but who's the actual leader of this team?
And maybe, maybe the face of it is Haaland, and maybe he is the leader.
And I, I just think listening to him talk about their eyes are wide open.
Like, they know Pep has left, and they know it's a challenge.
They said, "We have to trust in Enzo and trust in Enzo Maresca and, and, and what he's laid out for us."
And, and it's a really good result.
It's a really good result.
You I, I think when you, when you see, as you mentioned with Zirkzee and his assists, Haaland with his goals, that's gonna be the same thing again this year.
And if, and if Zirkzee can add to the goals, the assists are gonna come.
Mm-hmm.
He's just a magical player.
He naturally wants to offload the ball to players.
But if the goals come as well, and he can compliment Haaland, that's gonna be a big boost for them.
And when, when Haaland was talking about- Yeah that trust, he said you gotta trust his system.
Yeah.
But what are you recognizing two matches in what this system is about?
Well, the, the players, the players can, can adapt.
The system may look the same, but there's lots of different movements within obviously fullbacks getting really high up the field.
And then I would imagine with Maresca, in an ideal world, he wants the right back more so than the left back probably to become a central midfielder.
But another thing I wanna say about Manchester City, and this was the same under Pep Guardiola, they have so many world-class players, but none of them are desperate to be the star man.
Not none of them are desperate to say, "You better give me the ball.
I'm the star man of this team."
And when you've got a collection of players that are like that, that's something that's pretty special.
You hear a lot about culture and how every coach and every sport wants culture.
That's a pretty good example- of, of a, of a nice culture when the stars think that way.
Well, I, I think that's right.
But I also think Maresca, as much as he has his own ideas about things, that the one thing that won't change about City is he's gonna put the best front four players on the pitch, and he's gonna allow them the license to make the game.
He did that at Chelsea.
He has a structure, but the front four players go and win him the game, and everyone else supports them.
All right.
Man City on the road at Crystal Palace win 4-1 today.
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