Cherki and Haaland star as Maresca's Man City era remains on right course
Manchester City's Erling Haaland celebrates scoring his side's first goal. Pic: John Walton/PA Wire.
Manchester City entertainingly extended their winning Premier League run under new manager Enzo Maresca at Selhurst Park on Friday night.
Erling Haaland scored for the first time since shearing off his long blond locks - he celebrated with a grin and a rub of his shaven bonce - and Rayan Cherki netted twice as well.
Cherki's first, featuring sublime close control under pressure and a cheeky finish, was a moment for neutrals as well as City supporters to savour so high was its quality.
Gianluigi Donnarumma's unlucky own goal briefly gave Palace hope that they might record a first point under new manager Pierre Sage but further goals from Cherki and Haaland put paid to that.
The Maresca era had begun with a shaky 2-1 win at home to Bournemouth, courtesy of late goals from Marc Guehi and Josip Gvardiol.
Guehi, who captained Palace as a centre-back, had been deployed as a midfielder in that one, the result of a positional tinkering reminiscent of Pep Guardiola at his most baffling.
Guehi was back in the heart of defence for his Selhurst Park return, with the reinstatement of Cherki, provider of two assists as a substitute, another clear righting of a wrong.
Palace lacked the attacking threat of Jean-Philippe Mateta and Ismaila Sarr, who were both unfit as well as hoping to join new clubs, and it showed.
Maresca's men almost took an early lead after Eagles keeper Dean Henderson dived to parry Elliott Anderson's long-ranger. A scramble saw the ball fall to Haaland but his poke goalwards was blocked by Jorgen Strand Larsen, his Norway team-mate.
It was a portent of what was soon to come however as a move featuring a string of passes saw Antoine Semenyo swing the ball into the box from the left and Haaland rise above the static Chris Richards to nod in a looping header.
The enormous Scandinavian has yet to fire a single blank against Palace; that was his ninth goal in six Premier League outings against them.
Phil Foden was not so clinical. Picked out in far too much space on the right of the box by Anderson, the England World Cup discard leaned back as he offloaded his shot and Thomas Tuchel, in the stands, watched it inevitably sail over.
Foden was unluckier when a swift counter he created with Nico O'Reilly saw his header from Cherki's pull-back blocked by Jaydee Canvot, although it probably would have gone wide anyway.
Palace, in the modern parlance, were being made to suffer but after Cherki was cautioned for hauling down Adam Wharton, City allowed Strand Larsen a free header that the striker wasted.
The increasingly-influential Wharton then conjured up an even better chance. Another free header but Tyrick Mitchell's was a defender's finish. Maresca has work to do to get City's defence up to scratch before the Champions League kicks off; a simple free-kick into the box saw Richards steal in behind his defence (and ruin the good work by letting the ball hit his shoulder).
The half ended with Henderson in action as Cherki, set up by Semenyo, tested him with a low drive aimed at a bottom corner.
Palace fashioned a chance to level early in the second period but Eddie Nketiah, close to goal but under pressure, fired Mitchell's cut-back well wide.
City's response was to double their lead through Cherki's goal for the ages. Anderson intercepted with his head to get Foden driving forward but Cherki still had it all to do. And do it all he did, tricking his way past two challengers before poking the ball past a third plus Henderson.
Shades of Giorgi Kinkladze, that 90s City entertainer, albeit a lazy one in a dismal team.
Pino's cracking free-kick put Palace back in the contest within two minutes however. Donnarumma dived in vain to stop it and soon wished he hadn't when the ball came off the underside of the bar and in off the Italian's back.
Two minutes later though and Cherki restored City's lead with another impressive finish. The Frenchman was allowed to build up a head of steam to thump home a right-footer from 20 yards.
Palace used the rest of the game to give new signings run-outs off the bench, with Axel Disasi, Óscar Mingueza, Zavier Gozo and Dwight McNeil all coming on.
Ayyoub Bouaddi, City's new 100m Euro recruit, replaced Anderson for an eight-minute debut. Within two minutes Foden had set up another goal, driving forward to play in Haaland to lash past Henderson at his near post in the 84th minute.
Henderson 7; Canvot 7, Richards 6, Tomiyasu 6 (Disasi 74); Khalaili 6 (Mingueza 75), Wharton 8, Kamada 7, Mitchell 6; Nketiah 6 (McNeil 68, 5), Pino 7 (Gozo 68, 5); Strand Larsen 6 (Guessand 63, 5).
Donnarumma 6; Khusanov 6 (Reis 89), Guehi 7, Dias 6, Gvardiol 6 (Kovacic 75); Anderson 7 (Bouaddi 82); Foden 7, O'Reilly 6 (Braithwaite 89); Cherki 8 (McAidoo 82), Semenyo 7; Haaland 7.
Andy Madley 6
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