Manchester City Edge Ipswich 3-2 as Enzo Maresca Sets Premier League Record

Erling Haaland struck twice and Phil Foden marked his return to action with an early finish at Etihad Stadium to preserve the league leaders' perfect start to the domestic campaign.

Erling Haaland scored twice and Phil Foden marked his return to the lineup with an early goal as Manchester City defeated Ipswich Town 3-2 on Saturday at Etihad Stadium. The victory preserved City's perfect start to the Premier League season with seven consecutive wins and established a new competition record for manager Enzo Maresca, who became the first coach in league history to win his first seven matches in charge.

The result leaves City firmly at the summit of the Premier League standings with a maximum 21 points from their opening seven fixtures. Maresca's squad demonstrated both attacking fluency and late resilience to overcome a stubborn Ipswich side that refused to surrender despite falling behind by two goals in the second half.

Foden returned to the starting lineup for the first time since September's Manchester derby and required little time to make an impact. Operating in an advanced role, the England international found space inside the penalty area to meet a cutback from winger Jérémy Doku. Foden drove a low strike through a dense cluster of Ipswich defenders, sending the ball past goalkeeper Christian Walton to give the hosts an early lead.

The advantage proved short-lived as Ipswich produced an immediate reaction. Finding room on the counterattack, the visitors breached City's defensive structure through Daizen Maeda. The forward gathered possession in the final third and beat the defense with a sharp, composed finish to level the score at 1-1, momentarily stunning the home supporters inside Etihad Stadium.

City regained their tactical rhythm before the interval by dominating possession and pinning Ipswich deep in their defensive third. The breakthrough arrived when midfielder Mateo Kovačić exhibited clever footwork to evade a challenge outside the penalty area. The Croatian international delivered an inviting cross into the center of the box, where Haaland rose above his marker to direct a powerful header into the net for a 2-1 advantage.

City continued to dictate the tempo after the break and added a crucial third goal with approximately twenty minutes remaining on the clock. Iliman Ndiaye unlocked the Ipswich defense with an incisive through ball behind the back line. Haaland sprinted onto the pass, outpaced his pursuer, and drove a low finish past Walton into the bottom corner to claim his second goal of the evening and establish a two-goal cushion.

The hosts created several opportunities to put the contest out of reach before the final whistle. Ndiaye came agonizingly close to adding a goal of his own when his curling right-footed effort struck the woodwork. Moments later, Enzo Fernández found himself clean through on goal in a one-on-one situation, but Walton reacted quickly to parry the Argentine midfielder's shot away to safety.

Haaland briefly believed he had secured a hat-trick when he steered another effort into the net, but the assistant referee raised the offside flag to nullify the strike. The disallowed goal kept the visitors within striking distance, and Ipswich capitalized on that opening during the final stages of the match.

Ipswich were awarded a penalty kick in the dying stages following a foul inside the area. Zian Flemming stepped up to the spot and calmly sent his penalty past the goalkeeper to reduce the deficit to 3-2, creating a tense finish. City defended with discipline across stoppage time to ensure all three points remained in Manchester.

The historic seventh consecutive win cements Maresca's remarkable impact since taking charge, providing City with crucial early separation in the domestic title race. The milestone surpasses all previous managerial debuts in the Premier League era, underscoring the consistency and tactical discipline instilled across the opening two months of the domestic campaign.

The triumph allows Maresca's side to maintain momentum before shifting attention to continental competition. City return to Etihad Stadium on Tuesday, October 20, to host Greek champions AEK Athens in their third fixture of the UEFA Champions League League Phase. With AEK competing in Europe's elite tournament for the first time since the 2018-19 season, City will aim to secure three valuable points to strengthen their push for a top-eight finish and direct qualification to the round of 16.

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City 3-2 Ipswich: Two-minute highlights Saturday, October 17, 2026