- Oct 16, 2026
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SportsMafia Wire graphic. Team logos and player headshots via ESPN.
Manchester City defeated Ipswich Town 3-2 at Etihad Stadium on Saturday, extending their perfect Premier League start to seven victories from seven matches. Erling Haaland scored twice, taking his tally to 12 goals in 10 games across all competitions this season.
Manager Enzo Maresca became the initial boss to earn seven straight Premier League wins from the opening fixtures, surpassing a milestone previously shared by Pep Guardiola, Carlo Ancelotti and Ole Gunnar Solskjær. City sat top of the table Monday morning regardless of other weekend results.
The victory came at a cost, with several players limping off in the second half. "Unfortunately, in 10 minutes we had four or five players (injured)," Maresca said. Mateo Kovacic, Matheus Nunes, Nico O'Reilly, Antoine Semenyo and Haaland all went off, though only Semenyo remained uncertain afterward. Haaland, involved in a challenge with Ipswich defender Jack Clarke, said he was OK.
Phil Foden made his first start since a red card against Manchester United and scored his first goal since December 2025. The win followed a 2-1-0 record since an international break verdict that found City guilty of multiple financial rule breaches, with a possible points deduction pending appeal. Rúben Dias noted even private squad members were receiving messages and memes.
Source: ESPN - Sat Oct 17, 2:39 PM ET
Written by the SportsMafia Wire desk in our own words from the original reporting (AI-assisted, checked against the source).