Two more for Haaland but Ipswich almost prove banana skin for Man City 

Manchester City's Erling Haaland celebrates scoring their side's third goal of the game during the Premier League match at the Etihad Stadium, Manchester. Picture: Martin Rickett/the Press Association. 

Premier League: Man City 3 Ipswich 2

Erling Haaland struck twice as defiant Manchester City marched on at the top of the Premier League by holding on for a 3-2 win over Ipswich.

Phil Foden was also on target at the Etihad Stadium but City needed to survive a nervy finish after a Zian Flemming penalty gave the visitors late hope.

It was City’s second successive league victory since the club were found guilty of serious breaches of the competition’s financial regulations last month.

It also maintained their 100 per cent start to the campaign under new manager Enzo Maresca and lifted them six points clear of champions Arsenal at the top of the table.

Promoted Ipswich rallied to cancel out Foden’s opener through Daizen Maeda but Haaland’s double, taking his tally for the campaign to 12 in all competitions, looked to have reasserted City’s authority.

The Norwegian was denied a hat-trick by VAR, and the game ended in frantic fashion, but City had done enough.

The stands were awash with inflatable bananas throughout as City’s supporters continued to show their backing for the club during their ongoing crisis.

The blow-up fruit – a throwback to a craze from the 1980s and 90s – has quickly come to symbolise their defiance and the team have also remained unfazed.

City captain Ruben Dias forced an early save from Christian Walton but the Ipswich goalkeeper could not prevent Foden giving the hosts the lead on 19 minutes.

Jeremy Doku cut inside the from the left and pulled back for Foden who, in his first appearance since his red card at Old Trafford last month, turned home from eight yards.

City’s lead lasted just two minutes as Abdoul Ouattara released Maeda with a well-weighted ball down the right.

The pass arced around the backtracking Marc Guehi and Maeda outpaced and the outmuscled the England centre-back to seize possession and sit Gianluigi Donnarumma down with a composed finish.

Emersonn missed the target from another Ipswich attack but City regained their lead on 34 minutes when Mateo Kovacic reached the byline and pulled back for Haaland to power a header through Walton’s grasp.

Dias then forced another save from Walton while Haaland, Iliman Ndiaye and Doku all had shots blocked in a strong finish to the first half.

Nico O’Reilly went close after the restart with a header from a corner but Haaland made no mistake to grab his second on 69 minutes.

Ndiaye created the opportunity with a strong run from deep before playing in the striker with a defence-splitting pass. Ouattara could not keep his footing as Haaland skipped past him and coolly beat Walton.

Haaland thought he had claimed a hat-trick and put the game beyond doubt when he volleyed home after an Ndiaye shot had hit the bar, but his strike was disallowed by VAR for offside against Enzo Fernandez.

VAR intervened again moments later, changing the mood of the game when Guehi was ruled to have fouled Abdul Fatawu in the area.

Flemming clinically dispatched the resulting penalty and Ipswich fans cheered again when it was revealed there would be 12 minutes of added time but City held firm.

MANCHESTER CITY: Donnarumma, O'Reilly (Gvardiol 61), Guéhi, Rúben Dias (c), Matheus Nunes (Khusanov 76), Bouaddi, Kovačić (Fernández 50), Doku (Semenyo 77), Foden (Anderson 77), Ndiaye, Haaland.

IPSWICH TOWN: Walton, Greaves (Clarke 91), Diop, O'Shea (c), Davis, Palacios, Florentino (Matusiwa 71), Ouattara, Enciso (Akpom 78), Maeda (Fatawu 71), Emersonn (Flemming 78).

Referee: Farai Hallam.