Haaland Brace Helps Man City Beat Brentford

Erling Haaland starred with a double as Premier League leaders Manchester City beat Ipswich 3-2 on Saturday.

City are in turmoil off the pitch after being found guilty of more than 100 breaches of Premier League financial rules.

But on the grass, they have made a perfect start, with seven successive league victories marking their best opening to a Premier League season.

City, who are appealing against the guilty verdict after branding it a “Premier League conspiracy”, sit six points clear of champions Arsenal.

Second-placed Arsenal can close the gap with a win at Nottingham Forest on Sunday.

With City potentially facing a massive points deduction or even expulsion from the top flight if their appeal fails, it remains to be seen whether their results will even matter by the end of the season.

But for now, Enzo Maresca’s side are in fine form after bouncing back from their midweek loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.

There was a defiant mood at the Etihad Stadium, where City fans booed the Premier League anthem before kick-off, while thousands waved inflatable bananas to underline their commitment to the club regardless of their current plight.

The toy bananas were taken to the matches by City supporters to lighten the mood when the team was struggling during the late 1980s.

Chanting “you’re down with the City” to their Ipswich counterparts, City’s fans were in a self-deprecating mood.

Phil Foden put Maresca’s men ahead in the 19th minute with a sharp turn and finish after Jeremy Doku’s incisive run prised open the Ipswich defence.

Foden’s first goal this season was followed by an Ipswich equaliser in the 21st minute when Daizen Maeda evaded Marc Guehi to fire home.

Haaland restored City’s lead in the 34th minute with a pinpoint header from Mateo Kovacic’s cross.

Haaland killed off Ipswich in the 69th minute, sprinting onto Iliman Ndiaye’s pass and steering his shot past Ipswich goalkeeper Christian Walton.

It was the Norwegian striker’s 12th goal in his last eight City appearances.

Zian Flemming’s 90th-minute penalty, awarded for a foul by Guehi, set up a tense finale, but City held on.

AFP